


Dragons at Dawn

by Valyria_55



Series: Dragons at Dawn (Corpsekkuno & Dnf) [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bet you didn't see that one coming, But with dragons, F/M, Inspired by Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29427792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valyria_55/pseuds/Valyria_55
Summary: Sykkuno finds a dragon when he sneaks out at dawn beyond the fortress walls. Somehow it's not trying to kill him. What does he decide to do?Keep going back.
Relationships: Corpse Husband & Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Dragons at Dawn (Corpsekkuno & Dnf) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205051
Comments: 70
Kudos: 307





	1. Chapter 1

Sykkuno was many things, but mostly, in his humble opinion, he was an optimist. Too kind for his own good, as quoted from his good friend Toast, and too willing to believe that life was nice, as quoted from his other good friend Rae.

Well… they weren’t wrong, but was it wrong to believe in the world being beautiful? Sykkuno hoped not. At least, he desperately hoped so. Such was his thoughts as he treaded through the surrounding forest around Fort Synthia at the ungodly hour of dawn. The sunlight filtering through the leaves was beautiful. The dappled shade on the grass was pretty. It was scenes like these that gave him the motivation to wander beyond the fort, where he was vulnerable to dragon attacks. The only good thing about his walks was that dragons didn’t enjoy narrow, dark places like the forest. They liked the open areas, where they could extend their wings to the max and soar through the sky free.

 _Ah yes. Dragons. As dangerous as they were as taught in the lectures, they were beautiful._ Sykkuno thought as he fingered a leaf from an overhanging branch. He still vividly remembered the illustrations of dragons in his textbook. The vibrant scales that covered every inch of their serpentine bodies, in all colors of the rainbow. The. pair of horns that sprouted out of their heads, sometimes resembling those of a gazelle, sometimes of a ram, and sometimes completely unknown to this world. Eyes that shone and sparkled like jewels. He could tell that the person who did those illustrations truly appreciated the beauty of those creatures, even though they were the biggest enemies of mankind. 

In a distant, he heard a distinct rumble. 

Sykkuno looked up in confusion. That didn’t sound like the firing of canons. Curious, he inched out of the forest and looked in between the leaves, hiding himself in the trees. His eyes widened.

Fort Synthia was one of the five forts surrounding the capitol, and it was close to the mountains. Jagged peaks ran high up, and beyond those peaks was a dragon lair. Hence, Fort Synthia was quite dangerous to be a soldier in. What caught Sykkuno’s eyes was today, there was a huge black mass at the bottom of the cliff. It wasn’t far from him, maybe a five-minute run. The mass was rising and falling, as if it was alive. Sykkuno squinted at it, and only then did he notice it was covered in scales, its pearlescent sheen glowing under the sun like obsidian. Its back was decorated with distinctive spikes, jagged and sharp.

_It was a dragon._

Sykkuno gasped, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He really wanted to go up and look closer. Being a training soldier who just joined, he really hadn’t seen many living dragons. This was a rare chance. As he watched on, he saw how its head rose from its gigantic body, an odd patchwork of black and dark purple as well as randomly patched scales. Something was trickling down its head. Sykkuno frowned as he tried to deduce what it was. Its dark skin was making it hard to make out anything, but as Sykkuno pondered on, the dragon let out a faint huff, sounding eerily similar to a wounded animal.

Oh.

The dragon was wounded. That was blood.

Sykkuno was many things, and one of those things was being a selfless angel, as quoted from Jack. He proved it unconsciously by surging forward and running towards the huge beast. It was kind of stupid… no. It was stupid. Toast would have chastised him for hours for it, but Sykkuno couldn’t help it. He ran across the short stretch of meadow and right up to the dragon. He stopped just short of a few meters and stared up at the huge creature.

Oh Jesus it really was huge. It was easily on the larger side of dragons. It was definitely some five meters tall if it stood up, maybe even taller. Sykkuno stood frozen in front of it like an idiot, gaping at the sheer size and wonder of actually seeing a dragon up close for the first time. Really, it was beautiful: the shiny black scales, the large fangs, the huge ram-like horns. Being so close, he could now see the gash right below the left horn, which was pouring out blood. It was red, perhaps darker red than human blood. Hesitantly, with one hand on a thunder spear strapped to his back, he inched forward. The dragon’s eyes suddenly shot open, like two huge glowing amethyst beads, as it reared its head. Sykkuno let out a squeak as he stepped back, his hand wrapped around the thunder spear so tight it hurt. He stared in absolute terror at the creature, ready to fire and run away as fast as he could, even though his survival rate wasn’t that high. The dragon stared at him, its purple eyes large and unblinking, but it made no move to get up or open its mouth. It finally blinked after a few minutes, and its head settled back down. 

What?

Sykkuno’s hand went slack as he stood, stunned. The dragon wasn’t attacking him? He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, so he gripped the thunder spear again as he stepped closer. The dragon seemed to be in no hurry as it watched him with its huge eyes. They looked almost languid, like those of a lazing cat. Sykkuno glanced up at the wound. It was still pouring blood. Hesitantly, he unwound the scarf around his neck. The dragon huffed, and it sounded so unimpressed Sykkuno’s cheeks got warm.

“It’s all I have…” He pleaded as he held it up to the dragon. The creature didn’t budge as he got so close to it every instructor would’ve screamed bloody murder if they saw him. Miraculously, the creature leaned its head to the side, as if beckoning him. Working as fast as he could, he wound the scarf around the base of its left horn, trying his best to stop the bleeding. He paused for a second, panting as he reflected on what on earth he was even doing. Saving a dragon? Patching it up like he knew first aid when he absolutely didn’t? He stared at the dragon, who huffed as it righted its head.

“Um…” Sykkuno looked down as he heard the dragon move slightly. Judging by the scraping, it was probably the wings. He looked up tentatively, and sure enough, its massive black wings were outstretched. They were magnificent, bat-like with its webbed parts, and the sheer size of them was enough to block out the sunlight for Sykkuno, creating a gigantic patch of shade. 

Overhead, he heard the distinctive screeching of dragons. His eyes widened. The dragons were awake.

Oh no. Oh nonononono- If any dragon spotted him, he was dead meat. Dragons were extremely aggressive towards humans, attacking them as soon as they spotted them. However, as he looked up, he realized something.

The dragons couldn’t see him because of the massive wings. Through the patch of space, he saw the dragon raising its head, almost alert. He could also see the horde of traveling dragons above. There was a cacophony of screeches, then there was silence. The wings retracted, revealing the sunlight once more. Sykkuno looked up at the dragon, who was also looking down at him. 

“Did you try to protect me?” He asked. There was no way. Why would dragons even want to protect humans when they killed so many on a daily basis? The dragon wouldn’t even understand his question. The huge creature settled back down on its belly, its wings returning to their normal position on its back. Sykkuno gazed at it for a few more minutes before he stepped back. He had to go back to the fortress. If he was gone any longer Toast and Rae were going to kill him with their scolding.

“I have to get going. I’ll… be back tomorrow?” The dragon didn’t respond, but Sykkuno continued. “No pressure or anything! Thank you for not killing me!” Then, he ran as fast as he could. He ran through the forest and back into the gates, not once looking back. His luck had gone on a streak for long enough, it was bound to crumble at some point. He was just making his way into the barracks when his luck finally gave out.

“Sykkuno! Where the hell were you?” Rae screamed as she met him right outside the door, her hands on her hips. Rae wasn’t tall, but she could be so intimidating sometimes. Sykkuno put up his hands in surrender.

“I was just out for a walk, Rae! Nothing much… Like always!” He stammered. Rae’s eyes narrowed, and she pointed at someone behind him. Sykkuno spun around, and stared right into Toast’s unamused glare.

“Really, Sykkuno? You were gone for hours.” He scolded as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We were so worried, Sykkuno. What if you got eaten outside?” Rae nodded emphatically beside him. Sykkuno sighed.

“I’m okay, really. I’m sorry.” He pouted, hoping it would work. It normally would. Sure enough, Toast softened. 

“It’s fine. We just worry for you, you know.” He said quietly. Rae also calmed down after that, even though she still had her glare.

“Just don’t be stupid!” She exclaimed. Sykkuno smiled. He was safe… for now. They led him to the dining hall, and that was when Toast turned to him with a raised brow.

“Sykkuno… where is your scarf?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo new fic on Valentines Day! I never celebrate Valentines Day, but somehow I decided to do this. I've been obsessed with streamers lately (my Youtube will tell you as much), and I thought hmm why not make a fanfic with the model of Attack on Titan? Isayama is a genius, so I'm not even hoping to get to his level. We're aiming for readable and interesting here. Anyways, enjoy! Tell me what you think in the comments ;D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, second chapter. I'm getting really invested in this, so we all know what that means: might update regularly.

Against the many odds against him, Sykkuno still sneaked out during dawn. He promised the dragon after all, and even though it might not understand, it was still a promise, and Sykkuno didn’t like breaking promises. He climbed out of the hole in the wall of the fortress and plunged into the forest just as the sun was appearing above the mountains. He ran through the forest, his boots crunching various leaves and branches on the forest floor. The air felt a little chilly without his scarf, but the dragon needed it more than he did.

_Maybe it wouldn’t even be there, Sykkuno._ A voice in his mind whispered. _Maybe it already flew away, and you’re just risking another scolding from Rae and Toast for nothing._

_Shut up._ Sykkuno scolded the voice in his mind as he tried to remember the place where he peeked out yesterday. It was close to the dragon cliff, so he should see those jagged peaks. He squinted in between the leaves, trying to look for the distinct black mass. He had to run around for a while, but he eventually saw the same black shape against the dark mountains.

“Oh Jesus. Thank goodness.” He let out a breath of relief as he pried the leaves and branches apart. He pushed through the shrubs, even as leaves and branches stuck to his clothes and hair, and ran towards the dragon. His breath came out in irregular bursts as he ran as fast as he could. Dragons woke up at dawn, and he really didn’t want to risk it. He nearly barreled into the dragon’s side, and to stop himself he tripped over his own feet and crashed onto the ground with a painful _oof._ He heard a vibrating sound in front of him, and when he looked up, he saw the dragon’s open eye watching him, its wings raised in alarm.

“Um…” Sykkuno’s cheeks went pink as he scrambled to get up from the ground and save his dignity. He just tripped like an idiot in front of a dragon, and even though the creature probably didn’t care, he still felt so embarrassed. He patted the dirt off his pants and rubbed at his hair, watching the various leaves and branches fall out in front of him. The dragon watched him silently as it got up from the ground, and then it let out a burst of air. It wafted over Sykkuno, and he tensed, not daring to move a muscle. A stray leaf he missed fell to his shoulder and floated to the ground. Sykkuno started playing with his hair again as the dragon stared at him, suddenly self-conscious. He always had problems with people looking at him. He got really anxious, even when the person is a gigantic black dragon with purple patches and huge, scary fangs on its face. He looked up away from its eyes and spotted the green striped scarf he wrapped around the left horn. The wound didn’t seem to be bleeding anymore, but the scarf was, as expected, dirtied with dragon blood. He decided to start rambling to fill in the silence.

“I know you can’t understand me, but… I’m Sykkuno.” He introduced himself timidly. The dragon was motionless. “I’m a soldier in Fort Synthia, and I’m still in training. I’m aiming to become an airborne fighter, but I’m not sure I can make it. I have to be very good at it.” The dragon huffed and settled back on its front legs. It tilted its head, still staring at him. “I wanted to continue flying, because it feels amazing. Felix said its great. Jack told me I would definitely make it, but… I’m not that good, I’m sure. I’m worried.” It felt nice saying these things, even though his audience wasn’t human. Rae and Toast were very supportive, and they would start screaming at him whenever he said self-deprecating things like these. Even though he appreciated their confidence in him, he knew his own worth. He glanced at the dragon, who blinked as it let out a low purr. They fell into a comfortable silence after that, and Sykkuno relaxed slightly, coming down from the adrenaline high that came with how he was standing in the open with dragon, vulnerable to dragons who were waking up as the sun rose higher and higher. He could still die, but the dragon protected him last time. Maybe it wouldn’t let him die this time if dragons came down and snatched him from the ground like birds catching worms. The thunder spears were still strapped to his back, but he was ninety percent sure he wouldn’t get to use it. In a distance, he heard the screeches of wild dragons. The dragon shifted slightly, and he found himself shielded under one of its wings. He smiled in gratitude and stepped closer under the shade.

“You’re such a sweet dragon.” He commented. Was it just his imagination, or did the dragon stop moving for a second? He peeked out the webbed arches and watched as the horde of dragons took flight. This time, he could see the dragons better, and he took advantage of it. There was a kaleidoscope of colors, and the sheer variety was overwhelming. Dragons of every size and shape soared through the air, a truly magnificent sight for the guards on the walls of Fort Synthia, even though Sykkuno was sure they would start shooting as soon as they even came within range. The dragon beside him hummed, and Sykkuno could almost feel the vibrations travel through his body. As ridiculous as it was, he felt like he could get used to this. He shook the idea out of his head.

_Get it together, Sykkuno._

Sighing, he stepped out from underneath the wing and glanced at the dragon. The scarf was still on the horn, and even though it was his favorite scarf, he couldn’t really bring himself to take it back. He walked all the way to the dragon’s face and stood in front of it, holding its gaze.

“I’ll have to leave now.” He said, unable to hold back the whiny tone. He liked spending time with the dragon. It was stupid: it was only the second day, but it was still making him a little sad. He watched almost dejectedly as the dragon got up. For a moment, the creature just raised its upper body, but then, to Sykkuno’s absolute surprise, it moved forward and touched its nose against his chest. His eyes widened as he felt the huge fangs covering the lower half of its face brush against face. He stood there, frozen, as he watched the dragon move back down on its belly. He was so stunned he couldn’t move, even when the dragon let out a growl. He snapped back, and he realized he was… really visible. He was sticking out like a sore thumb on the open meadow. The dragon suddenly got up, its wings extending to its maximum length. They flapped once, and the dragon was in flight, and it was directly heading for him, its eyes blazing with aggression. Sykkuno gasped and staggered back in terror, his hand immediately going to his thunder spears, but the creature ignored him as it soared directly over his head.

“W… what?” Sykkuno looked up in shock as the humongous serpent body casted a long strip of shade right on the meadow. He watched as the dragon’s jaw opened, and then there was a loud crunch. He couldn’t see what was happening above, but right under where the dragon’s head was supposed to be, a puddle of dark red liquid was gathering on the grass. His body moved on its own, and before his mind could catch up, he took off running toward the forest for his life. He stole a glance behind him right as when he was diving into the forest shrubs, and he saw the dragon turning its head back and forth wildly, an indistinct shape handing from its jaws as dark red liquid ran down its mouth. Sykkuno didn’t really know what that was, or what the dragon was looking for, but he didn’t look back a second time as he ran like a madman. He ran all the way back to the fortress, even when he felt like his lungs were burning. He only stopped when he reached the barracks, feeling like he was dying. Today, both Toast and Rae weren’t up yet, and he collapsed into the bunkbed, gasping on the sheets as he waited for the wakeup call.

One thing was for sure.

He had forgotten how dangerous dragons were, and perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea.

* * *

Sykkuno didn’t go out of the walls for a few days. The past events had slightly traumatized him, and sometimes all he could think of was those terrifying eyes and the dark red liquid on the grass. He was pretty sure that was blood, and that horrified him.

Eventually, Toast noticed. He was Sykkuno’s best friend after all, even though Rae would probably kill him if she ever heard that. He knew him the best, and combined with his perceptiveness, Sykkuno was pretty much an open book.

“Yo, Sykkuno. What’s up?” He asked the third day after Sykkuno’s excursion while they were practicing the flying hook gear. The instructor was yelling out instructions, but they really didn’t need them anymore. “You’ve been down lately, and I noticed you don’t go on those dangerous walks anymore. Just so you know, the only reason I let you do that because I know it does you good.” Sykkuno smiled half-heartedly as he latched the hook onto the wall and shot forward.

“I think I know why you and Rae always nag at me when I come back.”

“Really? Hallelujah, God has spoken! Rae is going to scream when she hears this. Sykkuno, did you finally grow some brains?”

“Toast!”

“Okay, okay, but seriously, every time you go out, we both have a miniature heart attack. Your face is too pretty to be chomped in half or burned by a dragon, Sy.” Sykkuno choked and landed shakily on the ground. Toast gave him an unimpressed look as he landed beside him, smooth and clean. “What?”

“Toast!” Sykkuno bit his lips as his hand instinctively went to the back of his neck. “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not.” Toast shot back as he looked up and yelled into the air. “Yo, Rae, Lily, anyone! Tell Sykkuno he’s pretty!” Sykkuno covered his face in embarrassment as a chorus of voices sounded overhead.

“You’re hot!” Rae shrieked as she zipped past.

“Cute as hell!” Brodin yelled. Lily pushed him off a wall, laughing as the man sputtered and shot his hooks in a panic. “Lily, what the fuck!”

“You’re adorable, Sykkuno!” She called down to him as she followed Brodin. Sykkuno could only nod weakly as Toast looked at him in triumph.

“See?” The man pointed the hook shooter and shot it at the wall. “But now you’re not getting your walks, you’re sulking. That’s not what we want.” He pushed himself into the air, and Sykkuno trailed behind him, feeling like a lost puppy. They joined Lily, Rae, and Brodin, who were already chatting with the rest of their friends. Poki was chattering happily with her bestie, and Brodin was already daring Lily and Yvonne to do something definitely embarrassing.

“Sykkunie!” A cheerful voice yelled. Sykkuno turned around, and a smile made its way onto his face.

“Hey, Jack.” The man grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder.

“What are we talking about?”

“Yeah, what’s bothering Sykkuno?” Another voice joined in. Sykkuno could only smile awkwardly as Ludwig joined the conversation. “Who’s bothering our Sykkuno? We’ll beat them up. Right, Jack?”

“Hell yeah!”

“No, no! No one’s bothering me! Oh Jesus!” Sykkuno rambled frantically as the two men grinned at him. “It’s just a little… drab these days.” Ludwig nodded in agreement as he started tossing the shooter.

“Yeah, I feel you. The time it takes to make it as an airborne fighter… God.” Jack sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by the instructor shouting out orders.

“Training corps! We now move on to target practice. Thunder spears!” Ludwig rolled his eyes as he unhinged a thunder spear from his back. He loaded it onto his arm and waited as Sykkuno and Jack loaded theirs. Sykkuno briefly remembered how he didn’t use this on an actual dragon when he had the chance, and wondered what his friends would think if they knew what he did when he went on those walks. Toast and Rae would have his head.

“Babushka!”

Rae shrieked as she flew through the air and all but hurled her spear at the target. The long metal cylinder shot through the air and blew a hole right in the middle of the target. Sykkuno smiled. This was Rae’s favorite exercise, and she always looked so happy doing it. It made him happy as well.

“Here we go, Sykkunie!” Jack shouted as he leaped off the edge, his loaded arm pulled back. Ludwig jumped after him, and Sykkuno followed them. Jack shot his thunder spear, and Sykkuno marveled at how skilled he was when he hit the target dead center. He shot his right after, and he let out a disappointed sigh when he saw he was slightly off-center. Ludwig chuckled above him as he aimed.

“Almost there, Sykkuno!” He said cheekily. He let out a victory whoop when his shot hit dead center. The rest of their friends finished their rounds, and the group gathered as they waited for the rest of the squad. It would soon be meal time, and Sykkuno was starving.

“So, did that make you happier?” Jack asked as he and Ludwig organized their thunder spears. “I always feel better when I blow things up.”

“Maybe…” Sykkuno played with his shooter as he listened to everyone’s chatter. This felt nice, just listening to his friends. It was enough to get his mind off the dragon for a while, but he just knew he would go back at one point.

His mind was like that.

* * *

He made up his mind.

He was going back on those walks. They were just going to be walks, because he liked them. He liked how they help him relax. It had nothing to do with the dragon at all.

None.

_But…_

Shut up mind.

Sykkuno’s boot crunched on the leaves as he treaded through the forest leaves. It was dawn again, just the time he liked to go on walks. He didn’t try to find the dragon, but he could feel his mind pulling him over. He resisted it as hard as he could. He promised Toast and Rae. It was beautiful, the way the sunlight streamed through the trees. He looked around, realizing he was close to the spot again. Despite himself, he pushed through the leaves and peeked out. Maybe it was still here after four days-

The base of the mountain was empty.

As he expected, the dragon was no longer there. Disappointment coursed through his body. He buried his nose into the red scarf Rae lent him, nestling into the comfort it radiated. He could tell Rae wasn’t really happy when she lent him that because she knew what he was going to do with it, but she held back. Sykkuno turned to leave, feeling more dejected by the second. He still had the walk to enjoy, right? It wasn’t so bad, right?

_Boom_

He whipped around, his eyes widening. That rumble… he recognized it. He only heard it once, but it was lodged in his brain. His feet moved, and he barreled through the shrubs, leaves and branches exploding everywhere. He ran towards the base of the cliff blindly, and he didn’t look up until he was there. He looked around.

Nothing.

Sykkuno bent over as he panted. He didn’t understand. Where was the dragon? There was a rumble, where was it? He sighed and turned to leave, but something caught his eye.

Right there, several meters in front of him, was a small dark mass. Sykkuno stared at it, stunned. Was that… fabric? He stepped forward, slowly inching toward the mass. It definitely wasn’t the dragon, but… it didn’t look like some random object.

Twenty steps.

Ten steps.

Five steps.

Finally, he arrived in front of the mass. He looked down, his heart beating so fast it hurt his ribcage. It _was_ a swath of fabric. As his eyes moved upwards, he saw a mop of curly black hair, and as he went downwards again, he saw a dark mask covering three quarters of his face. It was a _person_ , and judging by the structure of the body, it was a man. He lay splayed out on the ground, with his arms extended on both sides of his head while his legs were bent in a weird angle. The one eye that was visible was closed.

Sykknuo stared at the person in a mixture of bewilderment and confusion. Why was the person outside of the fortress, nowhere near a village? He could see the man’s chest rising and falling, so he wasn’t dead at least. He bent down and shook his shoulder, trying to wake up unconscious figure.

“Um… hello? Mister?” The man didn’t budge. Sykkuno’s pulse started racing. They were in open area, and the dragons were waking up. Every second spent here was dangerous. He shook harder, panic tainting his voice.

“Please! Mister! You have to wake up. Please!” His voice rose despite himself. The man’s body rocked back and forth with his shaking, but his eyes remained closed. Tears started prickling Sykkuno’s eyes as he looked up at the cliff. He could hear the screeches multiplying. Any time now, dragons were going to take flight, and one look was all it would take for them to dive down and kill them both. He was just about to lose hope when the eye opened. Sykkuno stumbled back in shock. He gaped at the man, who tried to sit up, but fell back down weakly.

“Are… are you okay?” He asked as he inched forward, nervous energy bussing through him as he knelt down beside him. “Um… why are you here?” The man stared at him, his one visible eye unblinking as he remained silent. Sykkuno waited anxiously, switching between the man and the edge of the cliff. The sun was really coming up now, and his body was shaking with apprehension.

“Hello.” The man replied. Sukkuno froze at the unusually deep voice. It was raspy, and the word alone seemed to vibrate through him. Sykkuno let out a breath of relief.

“Oh Jesus, you replied!” He grabbed his arm, which was completely covered in black fabric and quite lean. “You see, we have to leave. Dragons are waking up. It’s a miracle you lived.” He pulled the man up as hard as he could, and he thanked his lucky stars when the man followed him.

“Where?” Sykkuno spun around. Oh yeah. Where did he come from? He heard a particularly loud screech, and he realized that would have to wait.

“Um… I’ll take you to Fort Synthia. It’s the closest.” He dragged the man after him as they made way for the forest. The man didn’t really protest, but he was moving a little slow for Sykkuno’s taste. Maybe his legs were injured. “Can you run? Any minute now- ”

_Screeeeeeeee!_

Sykkuno’s heart stopped as he looked up. Right at the edge of the cliff, a red dragon peeked its head out. Its gigantic golden eyes glanced around before they zeroed in on them. It let out a loud shriek and hurled itself into the air, heading towards them like a hawk. He let out a scream and started running, dragging the man behind him even as he stumbled a little.

“Run! Oh Jesus, _run_!” He screamed as he bolted towards the shrubs. The man followed after him, still silent as he tried his best to match Sykkuno’s footsteps. They managed to get away, but just barely as the dragon’s jaw snapped just short of the man’s back as they both collapsed into the forest. Sykkuno couldn’t even move as he lay on the forest floor, gasping for air as he listened to the angry screeching of the dragon outside. The man lay beside him, his breaths a lot more even and controlled as he stared at his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice deep and soft. Sykkuno nodded, his heart thundering. Slowly, he calmed down, and he sat up from the ground. The man copied his movements, and they stared at each other. It was awkward, and Sykkuno had to resist the urge to squirm under his gaze.

“So um… first of all, what is your name?” Sykkuno asked. The man looked at him silently for a few moments, and just as he thought the man wouldn’t answer, the voice responded, deep and slow but also slightly shy.

“My name… is Corpse. Nice to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was longer, wasn't it? I saw someone comment that this fic gave them How to Train Your Dragon vibes. If it still does, good for you, but it probably wouldn't as it goes on because that wasn't where I drew my major inspiration from. Anyways, thank you for the kudos! I was genuinely surprised when I saw how there were just a day after it was posted. Like before, tell me what you think in the comments! I always like to hear your thoughts and maybe... theories? Anything goes.


	3. Chapter 3

First things first, Sykkuno had to get Corpse into the fort.

Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, going out of the fortress wasn’t really allowed.

Yeah, he planned this out oh so perfectly.

Sykkuno looked back at Corpse, who was trailing behind him in silence. He was taller than him, and he was covered in black fabric from head to toe. He even had black gloves, which confused Sykkuno quite a bit, but he didn’t ask. It felt impolite.

“So… um… where do you come from, Corpse?” He asked eventually, trying to break the silence. Corpse looked up at him through his one visible eye, innocent and timid.

“I’m not sure, Sykkuno.” The mask covered his mouth, so when Corpse started talking, Sykkuno jumped. His name, in the deepest voice he had ever heard, rolled over him, sending shivers down his spine.

“Not sure?”

“Hmm.” Okay, maybe he should just shut up. Sykkuno turned back, guilty, as he continued leading Corpse back to the gates. Corpse didn’t ask him everything, so he felt like his conversation starter was a gigantic fail. They reached the fortress gates in a few moments, and Sykkuno tentatively grabbed Corpse’s hand. The man jumped almost imperceptibly, but he didn’t protest. Sykkuno gave him an apologetic look and held a finger up to his lips as he thought frantically for a solution. It wasn’t everyday he brought back a whole human. He peeked out from his hiding place behind a tree. To his huge relief, he recognized the guards. He waved at them tentatively, and soon enough, they both took notice.

“Sykkuno! Oh my god!” Jodi whisper-yelled as she ran towards them. The other guard was about to follow, but Leslie held him back. “No, John! You stay there!”

“Hey, Jodi.” Sykkuno whispered as he gently pulled Corpse forward. “Um…”

“Who the fuck is he? Sykkuno!” Jodi’s voice pitched. “Where the hell did he come from?”

“He’s not sure but uh…”

“He’s not sure???” Jodi squinted at Corpse, who remained motionless and quiet under her piercing gaze. “What do you mean he’s not sure? Did he lose his memory or something?”

“I found him unconscious. Maybe he hit his head?” Sykkuno started rambling as he struggled to explain everything as quickly as he could. “Jodi, just… can you help me get him into the fortress? We can figure out everything then, but I really have to get back to Rae and Toast. You know how they are.” Corpse suddenly turned to him, scaring both him and Jodi as he stared at him with a newfound intensity.

“Where are you going?” His words were slow but strong, and Sykkuno froze. He didn’t really know what to tell him. What if he snitched?

“I, um…” He really was horrible at lying. “I have to find my friends… ” Corpse’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he seemed to accept his answer as he looked away again. Jodi huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Okay, so here’s what we’ll do. Sykkuno, go back to the barracks. I’ll get Mister Dark and Brooding over there into the fortress. I’ll tell John what we’re doing, so he has the same story. As far as I’m concerned, you were never here.” She winked at Sykkuno and held out a hand towards Corpse. “So… what’s your name?”

“Corpse.” The answer came, terse and simple. Jodi raised an eyebrow.

“That’s an… interesting name.” Corpse didn’t offer any other explanation, and Jodi didn’t push for it. He also made no move to shake her hand, so she retracted awkwardly. “I’m Jodi. Follow me.” Corpse glanced at Sykkuno, his gaze almost questioning. Sykkuno looked at him confusedly until it kind of clicked. Perhaps he didn’t trust Jodi?

“It’s okay, Corpse. She’s my friend.” Corpse didn’t look convinced, but he still followed her as they both made way toward the gates. Sykkuno watched them get to the gate until he ran for the small hole on the wall. He squeezed through and scurried toward the military building, sneaking into the barracks. Rae and Toast were still sleeping, so it made his life a little easier. Now, all he could do was wait.

* * *

“Alright, troops!”

“Yessir!” Everyone shouted back. Sykkuno stood between Rae and Toast and bit the inside of his cheek as the instructor pushed a figure forward. The man looked down, his face mostly hidden by the now familiar black mask.

“We have a sudden new recruit. This is Corpse. He suffers from memory loss, but he has expressed wishes to join the military. Teach him the ropes.” Corpse looked up, and his eye finds Sykkuno’s as the man stood up a little straighter. His fellow training soldiers were all eyeing him with varying degrees of interest and wariness. “This is all. Soldiers, start training!” Corpse was released to them, and everyone gave him a wide berth. Sykkuno stared at him, wondering what he should do. Should he just go up to him? Wouldn’t he expose himself? He would get so many questions… Everyone would stare at him, and that was really bad. However, as his mind was still spinning, Corpse made the decision for him. The man headed straight for him, the people around him parting like it was the Red Sea and he was Moses. Sykkuno’s pulse started racing, and the way Rae and Toast were staring at him wasn’t helping. In his frantic state, he made a decision.

“Hey Corpse!” He said cheerfully, or as cheerfully as he could. “I’m Sykkunno!” Corpse stared at him, his brow scrunching up in confusion. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“Sykkuno, what in the actual fuck?” Rae blurted out as she glanced at Corpse. “You’re acting weird.” Toast had his arms crossed, his face also filled with confusion.

“Yeah, you kinda are.”

“Oh c’mon guys, don’t be rude.” Jack interrupted jovially as he waved at Corpse. “I’m Jack, and you’re Corpse, right? Super cool name. Nice to meet you!” Corpse’s eye glanced up at him, and he nodded lightly.

“Nice to meet you, Jack.” The effect was immediate. Rae and Toast both fell silent. Ludwig’s eyes widened. Lily, Yvonne, and Poki’s chatter stopped. Jack’s mouth fell open.

“Jesus, oh my god, your voice!” Jack yelled as he hooked an arm over Corpse’s shoulders. “You sound like how God and the Devil should sound! It’s so deep!” Corpse looked down almost sheepishly as Jack continued his cheerful complimenting spree. “Plus, your style is so cool. Look at all the black and the gloves! Good thing we don’t have a very specific uniform. All you need is one of these cloaks.”

“Yeah, I think it actually would go along with his outfit well.” Lily’s high-pitched voice sounded. She walked toward the two and smiled. “I’m Lily, and oh my god, our voices are so different!” Corpse cocked his head at her, and Lily giggled. “Why did you go for Sykkuno?” Sykkuno’s heart started racing the second she asked that, and he desperately hoped Corpse wouldn’t out him. Judging by how he reacted to everything, there was a huge chance that he could just let the cat out of the bag. Corpse was quite honest.

“He… looked nice.”

_What_

Sykkuno’s cheeks warmed. Rae immediately started laughing her high-pitched laugh, and Poki’s group started chuckling. Toast let out a snort, much to Sykkuno’s indignance. Corpse was staring at him again, and it made him even more embarrassed. Ludwig let out howl of laughter and went up to Corpse, a cocky smile on his face.

“You’re _interested_ in Sykkuno? Get in line, dude.” The man balled up his fist and gave Corpse a playful punch in the chest. “I won’t give him to you that easily!”

“Ludwig!”

“You’ll have to beat me, and just so you know, I’m quite good.” Ludwig continued jabbing, cruelly ignored him. Corpse’s eye narrowed, and he fixed his gaze directly on the man.

“Alright.” He said flatly. Ludwig’s eyebrows rose, and he gave a teeth-showing smirk as he held up a hand. Corpse, for the first time since Sykkuno had seen him, actually got the memo and grabbed Ludwig’s hand. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Ludwig’s front crumbled and he burst out laughing.

“Gosh dude. Chill out. I’m kidding!” He retracted his hand, and Corpse let go. “Not about the Sykkuno bit though. We won’t give away our precious Sykkuno that simply.” Sykkuno’s cheeks was flaming at this point, and he weakly shoved Ludwig as he covered his face.

“I’m not going anywhere! Corpse… um… “The man glanced at him. “My friends aren’t like this usually. Uh… training? Yes, we have to get you into the gear!” He pulled lightly on Jack’s arm. “Jack, can you help me?”

“Of course, Sykkunie!” The attention slightly shifted away from Corpse and him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Jack hauled over the various straps, and together, they helped Corpse get into them. Corpse stood quite still, obedient to their every order as they strapped him in. Lily helped on the side, fastening places they missed and adjusting the tightness to Corpse’s preferences. Poki, Yvonne, and Brodin had already head out, and the rest stayed back to watch. Rae was scanning Corpse from head to toe as she stood beside Toast.

“You have a lot to learn, Corpse.” She said finally. “You don’t look very muscular or anything, so maybe it’s going to be hard.” She pulled out her hook shooter and spun it around with her finger in the trigger hole. “Since Sykkuno’s my friend, I’ll teach you how to do it.” She pointed the shooter at a wall and shot her first hook. Corpse’s unblinking eye focused on her. “You’ll have to learn how to balance yourself on two cables though. It’s too dangerous to just let you propel yourself forward: you might go out of control and smack into a wall, and nobody wants that.”

“There, you’re done!” Lily smiled as she gave the finished straps a soft pat. “We’ll set up the cable poles. Wait here.” She left, and Sykkuno gave Corpse a hopefully reassuring smile.

“You’ll learn how to fly in no time, Corpse.” He said cheerfully. Corpse blinked, and he tugged at the straps all over his body.

“Fly?” He asked. “Even though you have to be attached to the walls?” Sykkuno internally flinched.

“Yeah, I suppose we are, but it’s the closest to flying… I guess… ” He replied meekly. He looked around at his friends for help, and thankfully, Toast spoke up.

“Yes, fly. It’s the only way we can fight with the dragons. We need to be at least resembling airborne. It’s not much, but it’s the only way humans have come up aside from canons, which cannot be used towards villages.” He explained. His eyes were narrowed, and they were focused on Corpse with what Sykkuno could only describe as suspicion. “The instructor said you lost your memory. How did that happen?” Corpse turned his head fully toward him, standing up straighter. Their eyes met, and Toast’s sharp gaze made Sykkuno’s hair stand up on his arm. “Did you hit your head on something? Why is the first instinct to join the military?” Corpse stayed silent as his eyes narrowed slightly. Toast leaned on one leg and waited, and eventually Corpse replied.

“It felt right.” Well, there wasn’t really anything to say to that. Sykkuno stepped forward and put a hand on Toast’s shoulder. His friend glanced at him, and he tried his best to put up a smile.

“Corpse is new here, Toast. Let’s not… interrogate him, please?” Toast was motionless for a few moments before nodding, but his eyes told him he was not done. Eventually, Lily had the poles set up.

“Okay! Corpse, come her for a sec.” Lily set to work attaching hanging cables from the poles to Corpse’s strap buckles. She gave the signal to Jack and Ludwig, who had joined at that point, and the two men pulled downwards. Corpse slowly started rising from the ground. His weight immediately shifted, and the man let out a gasp as he pitched forward. Sykkuno let out a yelp despite himself as he stepped forward.

“Focus your weight on your hips!” Jack shouted as he gripped on the cables. “Once you get it, you’ll come back up!” Corpse struggled a little, but then his movements stilled. Sykkuno froze as he stared at the man. His friends were all silent, and beside him he heard Lily let out a small “what the fuck?”

Corpse was nearly _horizontal_ to the ground, with his arms slightly forward and his legs relaxing in the back.

He wasn’t moving, so he was keeping his weight well balanced and maintaining his posture, but how on earth could he stay like that? Sykkuno stared at his new friend, his mind coming to a halt. Ludwig let out a whoop.

“Yo, Corpse, that’s not bad! I don’t know how the fuck you’re doing it, but all you have to do is get your head up and your legs down!” He called. Corpse glanced at him and nodded. He reared his head back, and his body naturally balanced, lightly swinging back and forth on the cables. It was incredible: Sykkuno had spent a few days trying. Corpse looked up at him, and Sykkuno gave him a smile.

“You’re really talented, Corpse!” He cheered. Ludwig and Jack let the man down, and Lily came forward with the proper gear, complete with the gas tanks and hook shooter.

“I’ll put these on you and we’ll teach you how to get around.” She explained as she got to work. “You’re a natural, Corpse.”

* * *

After an hour, they managed to teach Corpse how to move around with relative ease. Sykkuno found out pretty quickly that Corpse was actually _really_ talented. He could move pretty much however he wanted in the air without much practice. His aim was pretty average for the first try (he missed the target the first few times, but that was to be expected), and Ludwig even joked that with the rate he was learning, he would soon catch up and beat him. Sykkuno looked up at his friend as he zipped among the walls, spinning as he turned. His hooks dug into a nearby wall, and with the force of retraction, he flew through the air and landed on the bricks. Sykkuno followed and landed by his side. Corpse turned to him, and his eye crinkled as if he was smiling.

“You’re learning so fast, Corpse. I couldn’t do half the stuff you did on my first try.” Corpse shrugged.

“Perhaps I’ve done this before. I don’t remember.” He said simply. “Thank you for teaching me. You're a good teacher.” Sykkuno almost blushed at the compliment, and he barely kept it together.

“My friends helped too.” He replied. Corpse nodded.

“You have nice friends.” He said softly as he turned to the incoming people. Poki and Yvonne were zipping around, chattering in mid-air, while Brodin put in random words as he attempted his complicated tricks. Ludwig and Jack were having a little speed contest, while Rae and Toast kept score. Sykkuno smiled.

“They are.” He felt Corpse get closer to him, and he turned. His eyes met Corpse’s eye, and he noticed it was a very pretty color: a very dark purple, and only when the light shined down on his face did he realize it was actually purple. They were standing so close it felt almost uncomfortable, but Sykkuno surprisingly didn’t mind it. Maybe it was the reassurance that Corpse was now slightly more familiar. Corpse made no move to get even closer, opting to stay where he was as he stared at him. His curly black hair almost fell into his one visible eye. Sykkuno, unable to suppress his curiosity, asked his burning question.

“Why do you wear a mask?” Corpse’s eyebrow rose, and Sykkuno wanted to smack himself in the face. “I’m so sorry if you’re uncomfortable. You know what, never mind- ”

“There are burns I want to cover.” He replied quietly. Sykkuno’s eyes widened, and he looked down guiltily.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Just then, Lily called from her place on the ground.

“It’s lunch time!” She yelled. “Come down!” He shared a look with Corpse, and together, they flew down to the ground. Lily gave them a teasing smile, and it made Sykkuno embarrassed all over again. “Already a date? Sykkuno!”  
  


“It wasn’t!” He protested. Lily gave him a dismissive wave as she grabbed his hand. He heard a hum behind him, but before he could turn around, Lily dragged him toward his other friends. Corpse followed them silently as they all headed toward the mess hall. Jack started chattering with Corpse, and soon Ludwig’s voice joined them. Rae and Toast came close to him, and with his knowledge on them both, they weren’t going to stay quiet.

“So, Sykkuno, how are you doing with our new friend there?” Rae asked pointedly. Sykkuno chuckled awkwardly as he met her eyes.

“He’s very good at the gear.” He reported honestly. Rae huffed and glared at him.

“That’s not what I’m asking about!” She whined as she looked up at Toast. “Explain this to him, Toast!”

“You think I haven’t tried?”

“Well apparently, you’re his best bro!”

“I’m not a teacher, Rae.” Sykkuno ignored their bickering and joined Lily in line. Corpse was behind them, followed by Jack and Ludwig. He enjoyed a few moments of peace before a voice brought chaos and panic back altogether.

“Oh hey, Corpse! Have you found Sykkuno yet?” Jodi’s cheerful voice made everyone look up. She was waving at them as she came closer, with John by her side. “How are you doing?”

“Why do you know his name?” Toast asked. Sykkuno whipped around and stared at his friend. He then whipped back and stared at Jodi. He hoped the panic in his eyes served to tell something to her. Jodi took one look at him, widened her eyes, and gave a nervous chuckled.

“I was the one who brought him in.” She explained quickly. John was about to open his mouth, but one glare from Jodi was enough to shut him up.

“What do you mean has he found- ”

“Corpse seemed to have met Sykkuno before! He just wanted to look for him to see if he can get his memory back!” The explanation was, quite frankly, flawless, and Sykkuno silently thanked Jodi a million times in his mind. Toast didn’t look very convinced, but he still dropped the subject. They got their food, which was simple mashed potatoes and some leafy vegetables plus bread, and they all sat at the same table. Sykkuno sat beside Corpse, who didn’t touch his food even as everyone dug in.

“Why aren’t you eating, Corpse?” Rae asked as she stuffed a loaf of bread in her mouth. Corpse turned to her and sighed.

“I have burns on my face. I don’t want to show that.” He replied. Jack stopped eating for a second.

“Oh really? I’m so sorry for you, man. Just know we won’t judge you if you decide to show your face to us.” Corpse nodded and continued looking down at his food. Sykkuno felt really bad about it, even when he when he was forking some mashed potatoes into his mouth. Jodi was telling Poki and Yvonne how she took Corpse in, and she smartly skipped over the part of Corpse’s origins. Sykkuno relaxed as he finished his meal, watching his friends chatter. Corpse glanced at him, and their eyes met. Sykkuno gave him a small smile, which Corpse returned with a slight cocking of his head. Lily, who was supposedly chatting happily with Rae, nudged him lightly.

“You looked a little too whipped for someone who just met Corpse the first time.” She whispered. Sykkuno bit his lip and nudged her back.

“I’m not…”

“Whatever you say, Sykkuno. Whatever you say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corpse in the fortress, yay! I suppose this is some fluff, even though I'm not quite sure if it's actual fluff. Anyway, what do you guys think? *bats eyelashes seductively and failing miserably* This is mostly a bonding chapter, and I'm really happy I got to write about so many streamers. They all have such interesting personalities, and I probably didn't do them justice. I tried my best. As usual, comment down below your opinions, general vibe, constructive criticism maybe, or just to say hi. I always enjoy reading them!


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few days, Corpse was taught everything he needed to know. Sykkuno was so proud of his friend: his aim was now a lot better, and he never missed the target again, even if he didn’t hit it dead center. Even though Toast still was a little wary about him, he had come to see him as an equal.

Or… at least Sykkuno thought. He wasn’t the best at this. He might be really wrong, but Toast stopped asking questions about him after the second day, so that was something he supposed.

Even though Corpse took up much of his time, he still sneaked out of the fortress to find the dragon. He never succeeded, and he always came by dejected. He remembered the day Corpse actually caught him sneaking out.

 _“Where are you going, Sykkuno?”_ He had asked, and in the dead silence of night, his deep, almost satanic morning voice nearly scared Sykkuno to death.

 _“Oh my god, Corpse. Oh Jesus, you scared me!”_ Corpse was on lying his side on his bed, his eye blinking sleepily at him. His mask was still on. Sykkuno awkwardly let his hands, which were winding the scarf around his neck, fall to his side. _“Why are you awake, Corpse? You should go back to sleep.”_ Corpse’s eyes glinted in the dim light, and he shook his head.

 _“Where are you going?”_ He asked again. Sykkuno sighed and crept closer to him. He didn’t want to risk anyone waking up and overhearing them, so he whispered beside his ear.

 _“I’m going out of the fortress for a walk.”_ Corpse’s eye widened, and his hand shot out, gripping Sykkuno’s arm with surprising force for a person who just woke up.

 _“Sykkuno, no.”_ He said quietly. _“It’s too dangerous out there.”_ Sykkuno pouted and shook his head.

 _“I’ll be fine. I’ve been doing this for a long time.”_ He then yelped in surprise as Corpse yanked him onto the bed. He fell beside him ungracefully with an oomf, and he gave his friend a weak glare. Corpse’s eye was undeterred as he pulled him closer. It felt a little too close for comfort, and Sykkuno’s face warmed as he started squirming from his grasp. _“What are you doing?!”_

 _“Stay.”_ The one word washed over him, in that deep, commanding voice. Sykkuno froze, and Corpse took the chance to pull him closer, making it even harder to escape. _“Or at least until I fall asleep again.”_

It was embarrassing to admit, but Sykkuno never did stay awake later than his friend.

At the moment, Corpse was adjusting the thunder spears on his arm during their daily practice. Just as he was about to take off, a person landed rather roughly and slammed into him. Corpse let out a muffled groan. 

“Move aside, new boy.” The guy barked. Sykkuno recognized him as Félix, otherwise known as the meaner, more aggressive Felix. A haughty smirk was on his face as he stared down Corpse. “You seem pretty good for some newbie. Getting cocky?” Corpse stared at him, his one eye emotionless as he straightened his back. “What’s with the mask, dude? So cool you can’t show your face?” Corpse stayed quiet, and Félix became impatient. “Cat got your tongue, boy? Answer me!”

“I don’t want to show my face.” Corpse said, his voice closer to a growl. Félix raised an eyebrow as he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“You really are cocky as fuck.” He drawled as his eyes glinted. Sykkuno’s eyes widened, but before he could shout out a warning, Corpse jumped off the edge, avoiding Félix’s sudden punch. The man yelled in frustration as he glared at Corpse so hard Sykkuno thought his veins might pop.

“You little fucker! Come back here!” He shouted as Corpse shot his hooks methodically on the walls, cushioning his jump flawlessly with a midair flip. Sykkuno let out a breath of relief and a soft chuckle, but his breath hitched when Félix turned around and stomped over to him, seething. “What are you laughing, huh? Sykkuno or whatever. You’re all goody goody with newbie there, and you’re not even good. Why is he even friends with you?” 

“Wait, Félix… I’m not-”

“You’re also going for airborne soldier, right? Guess what, you’re not going to make it.” He grinned mockingly. “That friend right there is going to push you out of ranks.” Sykkuno bit his lip and looked down. He never really liked Félix, but he never interacted with the man. He really shouldn’t have. He turned and jumped off the ledge, getting as far away as he could. He didn’t look back, but judging by the proximity of the cable sound, Félix also left. As he shot his hooks, he realized Corpse was actually standing on the wall right under them. Sighing, he landed beside him. Corpse’s eye focused on him. They remained silent for a few moments, until Corpse broke it.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly. Sykkuno looked up so fast his neck nearly snapped.

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked incredulously. Corpse touched the back of his neck as he looked away.

“I heard what he said.” He offered no further explanation, and sure enough, nothing more was needed. Sykkuno pursed his lips as he glanced at Corpse.

“Do you believe that?” He asked tentatively, fearing for the worst answer. Corpse shook his head and hefted his shooter in his hand. He aimed it and shot, the hook studding into brick with a satisfying cluck.

“You taught me most of what I know. I’m not better.” He replied as he turned toward him. Their eyes met, and Sykkuno held it, surprising himself. It wasn’t everyday he could hold a gaze. He usually got too embarrassed. “Your flying is excellent.” Corpse leaped forward, and his spine arched in an elegant curve as he shot through the air. Sykkuno admired the form as he followed. Corpse made a turn in midair, and his leg splayed out like he was doing ballet. It was all so natural, and Sykkuno envied that. He wasn’t particularly elegant when it came to flying. Sure, he was alright: he could do everything needed, but it was usually very standard, ordinary, and sometimes clumsy. He couldn’t see any of that on his friend. He flew like the sky was his dancefloor. He flew closer to him, and Corpse looked down at him from above. His eyes were soft as they went closer to the target practice site. They were doing moving targets today, which he could do alright at, but Corpse on the other hand, wasn’t quite getting yet. Toast and Rae were there to greet them, and Rae was bubbling with excitement.

“Corpse, Sykkuno! What took you so long?” She asked cheerfully as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Corpse glanced at Sykkuno, the question clear in his eye. Sykkuno gave him a tight smile.

“We chatted for a while.” He lied, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. Rae seemed to buy it, but Toast, not so much. Even so, he didn’t say anything. They stood in line for their turn, and in the meantime, Jack, who had joined them, started explaining to Corpse how to get better at moving targets. Ludwig was jokingly taunting him, and the man’s initial annoyance had turned into tired fondness. Soon, he was called, and to his chagrin, Félix was in the same group. The man glared at him and took off, his movements aggressive and strong as he shot toward the target at high speed. Sykkuno frowned as he leaped forward. He loaded a thunder spear onto his arm and aimed. Félix had already finished his exercise and landed on the other side. With a huff, he hurled it with as much force and precision as he could at the target. It detonated, and it was slightly off center. Sykkuno winced as he landed on the other side. Félix gave him a mocking smirk as he went to his group of friends. He gritted his teeth and waited for his own friends. Toast did a side flip in midair and made a perfect shot. Rae followed him close behind, her aim flawless as always. Corpse unleashed his thunder spear, and the explosive sped toward the target before detonating slightly off center, just like his. Sykkuno covered his face as he giggled. He really did teach Corpse everything he knew, including the bits he didn’t know very well. 

“He’s actually getting pretty good.” Toast said beside him. Sykkuno turned to his friend and grinned.

“Right? His flying is so good.” 

“I wonder what he did before he lost his memory.” Toast mused as he glanced at Corpse, who was nearly within hearing range. “He still hasn’t remembered anything, has he?” Sykkuno sighed and leaned back on his legs. 

“No, not at all.” Corpse landed beside them in a few moments, and the conversation was halted. Lily arrived soon after, and she started chatting with the man, their voices a delightful contrast. Rae joined after the first subject change, and her loud, boisterous voice spiced up the conversation as a whole. The training soldiers finished group by group, and by the time Toast joined their chatter, the entire training corps was nearly done. Sykkuno opted to look around, appreciating the scenery from the high vantage point where they currently were standing. From here he could see the fortress walls, lined at the bottom by foliage. He could also see the canons positioned at the top, as well as the towers where he knew more canons were hidden. In the distance, he saw a streak of green in the sky. He frowned in confusion, and his question was answered as the instructor took notice.

“There’s an attack on a nearby village!” Sykkuno whipped around in alarm. The instructor was herding everyone toward the stables, and Corpse turned to him, his eye questioning. 

“What’s happening?” He asked worriedly. Sykkuno gripped his arm as his friends started following the rest of the training troops. “Aren’t you all training soldiers?”

“We get some experience through watching the airborne soldiers.” Sykkuno explained as he gently pulled Corpse along. Corpse’s brow scrunched as he went along with him. “Don’t worry, Corpse. We’re just going to be hauling around gas tanks as supporting roles.” 

“Yeah, even for a newbie like you, it’s going to be fine.” Rae chimed in as she dragged Toast beside her. Toast looked a little annoyed, but he let her lug him around as she wanted. “I really want to go fight something, but alas the only thing we can do is watch Jodi, Felix, and maybe John kick some ass.” 

“They’re not kicking ass. They might get hurt, like really badly.” The man reminded her, to which Rae waved him away.

“Jodi’s awesome. There’s no way she would get beaten this easily.” They reached the stables, and everyone mounted a horse. Sykkuno threw his leg over the saddle and dug his heels into the stirrups. Corpse followed his lead. A few days ago, Corpse would always fumble quite a bit, not really getting the hang of it, but now, his movements were flawless. With a shout, the team rode out, following their commander. The thundering of hooves vibrated through the ground, and they charged out the fortress. Sykkuno focused his energy on riding as he felt the breeze on his face. He could see Ludwig and Jack in front of him, and even further ahead, Jodi and Felix. The troops advanced toward the site of attack, the green smoke signal billowing in the air. 

“I think this will be a fast trip.” Rae suddenly said beside him. Sykkuno turned toward her as she huffed. “Only smaller dragons. I don’t think we would even need to fill more than a few dozens of gas tanks.”

“I hope so.” Sykkuno replied. Corpse rode beside Rae, and he was listening silently as he and Rae chatted. Rae whipped around and grinned at him.“Are you excited for yor first trip?” She asked. Corpse stared at her for a few moments, almost to the point of awkwardness, before replying.

“I don’t suppose so.” Rae shrugged and turned back to her horse. Soon, they arrived at the village. One look was enough to confirm that the attack was small scale. A few dragons, around five meters in length, were destroying some homes, but those buildings were mostly empty. The residents had mostly evacuated, and they cheered when the troops arrive.

“It’s the soldiers from Fort Synthia!”

“It’s gonna be alright now!”

“Get them for us!” Sykkuno smiled as he dismounted with his friends. Jodi, John, and Felix were already getting ready to engage in battle, their straps tight and their hook shooters gripped tightly in hand. They stood among the airborne soldiers, and with a signal from their commander, they leaped into action.

“Training corps! Start filling!” 

“Yessir!” Corpse glanced at Sykkuno, confusion in his eye. Sykkuno led him to the filling station, where Rae and Toast were already filling tanks. It was a chain production: one third of the team filled up the tanks, the second thrif screwed it shut, and the last stood on standby, ready to hand out the newly filled tanks to incoming soldiers. Sykkuno pulled Corpse over to Toast, and he handed his friend a tank.

“Just push the nozzle into the hole and wait a while. It’s ready if it sounds solid when you tap on it.” Corpse obeyed and jammed the nozzle into the neck of the tank. They worked silently, syncing up their filling rate to the preparation team. In the distance, he could see the conflict. Soldiers zipped through the air, thunder spears in hand. Explosions sounded frequently, followed by pained shrieks. Sykkuno took as many glances as he could, and he caught a moment when a soldier shot a thunder spear into a dragon’s face, and it detonated, blowing up the creature’s head. 

“Holy shit.” Corpse said beside him. Sykkuno nodded in agreement. The sight was quite gory, but it was one of the most efficient kills yet. Normally, it took many shots until the dragon was subdued. 

“Alright, training corps! Halt production!” The section commander commanded. Sykkunno handed Poki his last filled tank and relaxed as he watched the fight. He saw a head of dirty blond hair, and if he wasn’t mistaken that was Felix. He watched as his friend shot through the air and fired two thunder spears in midair. He flipped through the air as he accelerated, and the two metal cannisters detonated, blowing out the creature’s eyes. Another soldier immediately followed up, and with another spear, the dragon collapsed onto the ground, incapacitated. He breathed a sigh of relief. There were only a few remaining, estimated to be less than five. It would only be a matter of time before the soldiers finished eliminating the threat in the village. Rae was cheering loudly, while Toast tried to get her to be quiet. Everyone seemed to be a lot less tense now, the previous silence melting away to chatter. Dragon screams sounded everywhere, accompanied by the familiar booms and frequent cable noises. There was a sudden tight grip on his arm, and Sykkuno looked back in confusion.

His eyes met Corpse’s, and the panic in his eye sent a cold shiver down his spine.

“Corpse?” The man was staring intently at him, and his eye flitted up towards the sky.

“Sykkuno, we have to get away.”

“What? Why?”

“The gas suppliers… We need to go.” 

“What are you talking about, Corpse? I um… really don’t get it.” The rising urgency in Corpse’s eyes was freaking him out, but Sykkuno couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he was trying to tell him. Corpse’s grip on his arm tightened, and he even gave a tug. Sykkuno shook his head. “We can’t just leave our stations.”

“Sykkuno- ” Just then, there was a loud shriek, and it sounded awfully close. The training corps were starting to take notice, looking around in alarm.

“Where did that come from? That sounded awfully close” Lily asked, nervousness prominent on her face as she stood beside Yvonne and Poki. Corpse looked up to the sky, and after a few turns, looked back down in alarm.

“Toast, Rae, Ludwig, Jack, everyone, take cover!” He yelled as he dragged Sykkuno away. Sykkuno glanced back and saw how Toast frowned confusedly, then his eyes widened. Something in Toast’s brilliant mind seemed to have clicked, and he immediately grabbed Rae. 

“Do as he said!” He shouted as he began running. Everyone was in chaos, and before Sykkuno could even understand what was happening, a roar blasted through the air. Corpse suddenly tackled him to the ground, and as soon as his body slammed onto the hard earth, he heard a terrifying explosion, so loud his ears popped. A powerful force rocked them both off the ground, and this time, he knocked his head on a patch of hardened dirt. For a few moments there was nothing but red and stars before his eyes. Corpse pressed down on him, his body weight forcing him into the ground. His one visible eye stared directly into his, intense and almost feral. 

“Corpse? What… what was that?” He asked, his voice barely audible. Corpse didn’t answer. His eye flicked to the side, and Sykkuno turned his head in the same direction. His eye widened.

A huge dragon, definitely eight meters, was hovering above the now demolished gas supplier, the metal container having exploded, the edges smoldering like embers of coal. It had appeared out of nowhere, and its wings flapped, sending strong gusts of wind and breaking every delicate branch they encountered. A huff of smoke came out of the dragon’s nostrils, and steam rolled out of its mouth. He could make out a few fallen bodies, heavily burned and unmoving. The dragon reared its head and roared, and it vibrated through the air, sending small debris flying.

“No…” Sykkuno whispered. He saw Toast drag up Rae from the ground as quietly as possible, his eyes trained on the dragon. Where were the rest of his friends? He felt Corpse shift on top of him, and in a split second he was pulled up. He could barely register Corpse tugging him as hard as he could as he ran. Sykkuno nearly tripped, but he did his best to match his friend's pace. He looked up at Corpse, who had his eyes completely focused in front of them. “Corpse…”

“We need to get further away.” He interrupted him as he turned back for a split second. “We have no spears. It’ll be a matter of time before it notices us.” Sykkuno glanced around and saw Toast waving at them, his expression strategically calm and collected. Corpse immediately made a mad dash towards the man. As they got closer, he saw his friends were already there. Yvonne, Poki, and Brodin looked only slightly ruffled. Jack and Ludwig looked fine, and they immediately ran forward. The only person who looked bad was Lily, who was being carried on Brodin’s back. Burns covered her left arm and leg, as well as some minor ones on her face. They were all staring at the damage in varying degrees of horror.

“How did that even…” The rest of Poki’s words died in her throat. Sykkuno could only watch in shocked silence. What were they going to do now? He looked on further and saw how some of the airborne soldiers were beginning to take notice. They started making their way over, and that was when everything started going south.

The remaining dragons took full advantage of their distraction, and as Sukkuno watched on, a few soldiers got swatted out of the air. He let out an involuntary gasp, and he frantically covered his mouth. Thankfully, the dragon was making its way towards its remaining brethren, and it didn’t turn around. Corpse still hadn’t let go of his arm, and it was starting to hurt. He gave him a soft tug, and Corpse looked down.

“It hurts a little, Corpse.” His friend immediately let go, murmuring apologies.

“Sorry, Sykkuno. Sorry.” He looked so apologetic Sykkuno had to smile. It was quite cute, even though everything was crumbling around them. 

“It’s okay.” 

“Everyone!” Sykkuno looked up, and he saw Felix, expertly maneuvering through the air. His blond hair flew free in the wind as he landed close to them, retracting his cables. “Are you alright? How many injured?”

“We don’t know.” Jack replied as he pointed at the motionless figures beside the remains of the gas supplier. “There’s already a lot of people badly injured judging by the state of those guys.” Felix swore under his breath and gripped his shooters. Marzia landed beside him, and her eyes widened at the extent of damage.

“How the hell did this even happen?” She murmured, dumbstruck. 

“I don’t know, but all I know is…” Felix looked each of them in the eye. “This whole trip or whatever is no longer a fast trip. We’ll be lucky to come away unscathed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Whew. Lots of things happened, and we've veered off the course of peaceful and happy (If it's still happy for you, well... it's fine too). To all xQc fans out there, I'm so sorry. He likes to cause chaos and conflict, so I thought he would be perfect for the role. Please don't come at me :') Since there's a lot of moments in this, comment down below your favorite! For this chapter, there's a lot of mention about gear. Just imagine them as the 3D maneuver gear from Aot. I think the design is immaculate, and anything I think of will not be as good.


	5. Chapter 5

“We need to regroup, and judging by what I’m seeing…” Felix’s eyes lowered, and his fingers clenched so hard onto the shooters his knuckles went white. “There really aren’t that many comrades to regroup, are there?” Marzia placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a comforting pat. “With that monster in the equation, everything is harder. God, why did that even happen?”

“I don’t know, Felix, but are we supposed to just stay here?!” Rae shrieked as she angrily pointed a finger at the dragon, which was wrecking even more havoc on the village houses. It was getting dangerously close to the place where the villagers were herded for safety. “Are we supposed to stand here like statues and watch as that thing kills everyone?”

“Yeah, that would be a waste.” Toast continued Rae’s outburst as he glanced at Felix. “Shouldn’t we be used as offensive force as well?”

“I can’t authorize you.” Felix looked around and clenched his teeth. “Where’s the section commander when you need him?”

“Um… maybe he’s close to the gas supplier?” Sykkuno asked as he glanced at the wreckage. “We can first tend to the injured first, I think.”

“Fine by me.” Felix gave the word, and the group started dragging the unconscious soldiers out of danger. There were more than ten people, but with everyone taking one each, it wasn’t that big of a hassle.

“Felix… I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think the commander is basically out of commission.” Jack announced as he lugged an unconscious body over on his shoulder. A trail of blood slid down from a patch of darkened vermillion on the man’s forehead as his body swung with every step Jack took. Sykkuno immediately ran up and eased the man off his friend. He laid him down beside the group of similarly unconscious and injured training corps members. Ludwig had also been busy, and he pulled over a girl who had lots of burns across her body, her clothes seared at the edges. He laid her beside Lily, who was tending to the wounded despite being wounded herself, much to the displeasure of Yvonne, Poki, and Brodin. Ludwig went up and stood beside jack, his eyes having lost its usual joking gleam.

“Felix, I’m going to fight with the remaining airborne soldiers. I know they will join me.” He stared into Felix and Marzia’s eyes. “It’s our own choice, so don’t worry, we won’t out you for allowing this, but we’re going.” He turned toward the group. “Right, gang?”

“Yes!” Rae shouted as she grabbed a spare set of thunder spears. She tossed another to Toast, who caught it with ease.

“Let’s do it!” Jack yelled as he loaded himself up. Poki let out a battle cry and dragged Brodin forward, leaving Yvonne to stay with Lily. Sykkuno glanced at his friends, and then his eyes caught Corpse’s. The man was standing there, frozen.

“Corpse?” He asked. He let out an audible breath, but fell silent once again. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. You’re new after all.”

“And you?” His friend threw the question back at him. Sykkuno nodded.

“I’m going.” He said with finality. Corpse seemed a little conflicted, but he eventually nodded.

“Alright then. I’ll come with you.” Sykkuno smiled, and they got ready, their fingers in the triggers. Felix stared at them, his eyes filled with visible worry, but Marzia gave him a nudge.

“We really don’t have that many options here. Besides, they won’t stay put with Rae there.” She said quietly. “It would be worse if they ran off with no one leading him.”

“I suppose so.” Felix replied as he raised his shooter. “Alright, charge!” He shot into the air, and the group followed him, ready for battle. Sykkuno flew next to Corpse, who was flying with ease, but he seemed tense.  
  


“What is it, Corpse?”

“This is very dangerous.” Corpse replied, his nervousness clear in his voice. They passed by a few fallen soldiers, and Sykkuno landed on a crumbled wall. Corpse followed, landing with a thump.

“There are injured people here!” He yelled at his friends, who were still in mid-flight. Only Felix looked back.

“We need to finish off the dragon first!” He yelled back. There wasn’t really anything wrong with that logic. Sykkuno knew the dragon had to be subdued to protect the village, but… he couldn’t just stand there and let the injured soldiers lie on the ground untended. He was just debating his priorities when Corpse grabbed his arm.

“You want to save them?” It was more of a statement than a question. Sykkuno nodded silently. Corpse looked down for a brief moment before looking back up. “I’ll cover you from above.”

“But you’re not that experienced- ”

“It’s the only way. The dragon has attracted more smaller ones. Look.” Sykkuno looked up, and sure enough, there were more of those serpentine creatures flying among the destroyed houses. The airborne soldiers were torn between defending the village from them or defeating the main threat itself. “Make up your mind, Sykkuno.” Sykkuno bit his lip and sighed. Better than nothing, he supposed.

“Alright, let’s do this.” He shot straight down to the ground and ran towards the nearest soldier. Immediately, he heard an earsplitting screech.

“Don’t stop!” Corpse yelled. Sykkuno gritted his teeth and slid in front of the wounded female. He lifted her arm and tugged it around his shoulder. With relative ease, he lugged her to neglected house. Its roof was caved in, but at least there were no dragons targeting it for now. He came out and looked for his friend. He gasped.

The dragon was really chasing Corpse down, clearly enraged. Corpse shot through the air with unbelievable skill, evading the fireballs as the creature let out attack after attack. As Sykkuno watched, Corpse landed on a roof and ran along the ridge, the dragon destroying everything behind him as it crushed the roof itself. The second he leapt off the edge, he turned in midair and shot a thunder spear directly in the dragon’s face. The dragon let out a pained scream, shocking Sykkuno back to the present.

_The wounded. Right._ Sykkuno shot his hooks and swung toward the next person. He could hear the fighting overhead, but he forced himself to focus on the task on hand. It continued for a while, and he managed to save five people before he finally couldn’t stand it and looked up. Corpse was doing quite well, the first dragon having already been killed, its carcass smoking beside a crushed house. Corpse was fighting another close by. He looked over briefly at Sykkuno before he turned back to his own battle. Sykkuno let out a sigh of relief as he hoisted another soldier over his shoulder. He heard a shriek, and he didn’t really give too much attention to it until he realized a few seconds later that it sounded awfully close.

“Sykkuno, get away!” A deep scream, filled with horror, sounded from above him, followed by a dragon shriek. Sykkuno looked up in alarm, and sure enough, he saw Corpse, but no dragon. He frowned. The man had this confused look on his face which just confused him more. His thunder spear set was empty. He looked back just in time to see a dragon above him, turning toward Corpse’s voice. He let out a gasp and shot his hooks as fast as he could.

“Sykkuno, go!” He risked a glance at Corpse again, and he saw him throw a shiny object toward the dragon as he was in midair. Sykkuno squinted, and the object glinted in the light. It was a long metal cylinder. Wasn’t Corpse’s thunder spear set empty already? What on earth was that? He took off, but as soon as he was in the air, something clicked in his head, and he realized what the object was. With new found panic, he increased his speed, even though his tanks were nearly empty. He heard the dragon let out a scream, before the now nightmarish sound of an explosion boomed behind him. H clutched the man harder as he looked back. As he expected, the dragon’s head was blown apart. His eyes scanned the area, trying desperately to find his friend.

“Corpse! Corpse!” He screamed as he landed as soon as he could, just before the last of his gas was gone. He set the man down as gently as he could and ran back. “Corpse!” He didn’t know why Corpse did what he did, but it was either the most daring idea he had or the most reckless.

Corpse had unscrewed a gas tank in midflight and threw the cannister of tightly sealed, pressurized gas straight down the dragon’s throat.

He didn’t know whether to be proud or be outraged.

“Corpse!” He yelled again. The main dragon had been subdued, and the most of the smaller dragons slayed, but none of that mattered as he ran toward the wreckage. As soon as he was on site, he looked around blindly, dread rising in his heart as he scanned with his eyes for any bit of black fabric. He was just about to increase his search area when a soft voice sounded from behind a half-broken pillar.

“Sykkuno. You’ll attract dragons if you make so much sound. I can’t cover for you if you do.” Sykkuno ran toward the pillar, and as soon as he got around it, there was Corpse sitting on the floor. Miraculously, his clothes were only slightly singed, and his one eye was shining with mirth as he laid against the pillar, his chest rising and falling as he breathed heavily, his gear a tangled mess on the floor. Sykkuno let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and fell to his knees. Corpse let out a chuckle.

“Corpse! Oh my god, I thought you were swept up in the blast!” He cried as his eyes traveled down Corpse’s body, inspecting him closely. “You had only one nearly empty gas tank to get away! What were you thinking?”

“It would have gotten you.” Corpse said simply, like there was no other reason. Sykkuno pouted and started to get up from the ground. He walked closer and extended a hand.

“Let’s go and see if our friends are alright then.” He said softly. Corpse grabbed it and stood up slowly. There was a rip on his sleeve, but before Sykkuno could take a second look, Corpse pulled it shut as he got to his feet. The man looked around before his eyes settled on the dragon carcass. They both stared at the body, the dead dragon lying on its side, headless. A fragmented horn was somewhere a few more paces behind. Sykkuno broke the silence.

“I couldn’t believe you did that.” Corpse offered no further explanation as he gave Sykkuno’s arm a gentle tug as he went toward the exit.

“Let’s go.” Sykkuno let himself be dragged out. When they were outside, Corpse looked up at the trees beside the village, but when Sykkuno asked him what he was looking at, he replied it was nothing. Neither of them could fly, so they walked all the way back. Their friends were all standing there back at the explosion site, along with a few sill-standing airborne soldiers. Sykkuno was relieved when he saw both Felix and Marzia were okay.

“Sykkuno! Where were you?!” Rae screamed as she stormed over, the ends of her hair singed. Toast was behind her, looking just as pissed. “We were so busy getting to the dragon and slaying it that when we came to our senses, we realized you’re gone, and so is Corpse!” She squinted at them both. “You didn’t go on a date when we were all fighting, did you?”

“What?!” Sykkuno sputtered as he gestured wildly to the abandoned house where he had dragged a few wounded soldiers. “No, no, Rae! We were helping the injured! Corpse covered for me as I got them to safety! They’re in that house with the collapsed roof!” Toast raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything as he grabbed Rae’s arm and pulled.

“If that’s what they’re saying, we have more people to get here. Let’s go, Rae.” He said simply as Rae protested. He dragged her away, almost kicking and screaming, and Sykkuno smiled apologetically at his friend. Corpse’s eye followed them as they left.

“Rae is so energetic.” He commented. Sykkuno nodded emphatically in agreement.

“She is.” Just then, Jack came over, and he looked very excited as he slung an arm over Sykkuno’s shoulder.

“Sykkunie!” He yelled happily as Ludwig followed him. “You missed all the action! Rae was crazy good with her aim, and with Toast’s strategic mind they were a deadly combo.”

“Really?” Sykkuno asked, impressed. Ludwig chuckled and gave him a cocky smile.

“Hell yeah they did. Me and Jack also kicked some ass.” He punched the air and grinned. “Felix said I was being reckless, and it was either the stupidest thing he’s ever seen or the most innovative.” Jack laughed and gave him a fist bump.

“Oh you don’t even know the rest of it, Sykkunie. Let me tell you what- ” A familiar scream sounded from somewhere behind them, and Jack spun around, his words stopping altogether. Ludwig frowned as he also took notice. Sykkuno’s heart started beating wildly.

“Jodi?” He whispered. Corpse’s eyes narrowed at the familiar name, and together, the four of them made their way over into the crowd of soldiers. The apprehension was very obvious on all of their faces, and they were all fearing the worst when they finally found her. However, it wasn’t what they expected.

“John! Don’t you dare die on me!” Jodi shrieked as she gripped the arm of a badly injured soldier whom Sykkuno realized in horror was their friend John. He was almost unrecognizable with the way his body was body burned, his clothes having been seared to blackened strips and hanging on his alarmingly red and blistered skin. The worst part was one of his legs, which was basically blackened. His face wasn’t so bad, and amid the grimace he was making there was an almost silly smile. Sykkuno covered his mouth in a mixture of alarm and worry. John started talking, but his voice was so weak Sykkuno couldn’t hear anything. However, Jodi did. Her eyes widened, and she started crying. Jack and Ludwig both tried to console her as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

“What do you mean as long as I’m fine you’re happy?!” She screamed. Sykkuno took a step back at the intensity of his friend, and he bumped into Corpse, who caught him with his arm. Peter and Abe, his two other friends in the airborne corps, stood behind Jodi, and they had matching expressions of controlled pain. Peter placed a hand on her shaking shoulder, and they all listened in silence as Jodi’s sobs filled the air.

* * *

The return journey was swift. The injured soldiers were given medication as soon as they reached the fortress, and Sykkuno accompanied Lily to the infirmary with the rest of his friends. A doctor immediately came over, and he gasped when he saw Lily’s injuries.

“Lily? Oh my god, what did you do?” Michael yelled shrilly as he gently picked up her arm and examined the burns. Rae rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she rolled up her sleeves, revealing a few cuts and burns.

“Wow, Michael. Really unbiased. Super neutral. Definitely no special treatment.” She joked. Michael’s face turned red as he sputtered.

“No, Rae! It’s- ”

“Did I hear Michael giving special treatment?” A voice asked from somewhere further in the infirmary. Sykkuno smiled and looked toward the source of the voice. Sure enough, there he was.

“Scarra!” Poki shouted as she went in. The man grinned cheerfully as he took out bandages and ointment. “We’re back!”

“Hello Poki. Do you have any wounds?” He asked. Poki showed him her calf.

“Just a minor burn here I think.”

“Alright.” Scarra got to work, and Sykkuno turned back to Corpse.

“I don’t think you’ve met Scarra yet. He’s one of the doctors. Michael is his apprentice.” He explained. Corpse’s eye focused on the chubby, friendly-looking man, and he nodded.

“You should go to them. Let him examine you for hidden injuries.” He said. Sykkuno gave him a gentle shove.

“You’re the one who should go. You took a blast in close range.” He countered. Corpse shook his head.

“I’m fine. No pain anywhere.” Sykkuno pouted, but Corpse didn’t budge. Well, that’s that. He turned to Lily, who was getting her wounds treated carefully by Michael as she chatted with him, both of them sporting the slightest of blushes. His friends were all side-eyeing the pair with identical knowing smiles. Rae’s arm was bandaged, and Ludwig’s leg was patched up. The rest of his friends were just chatting with the each other, with Scarra putting in a word or two in the midst of tending wounds. This section wasn’t the emergency section, so everything was not as hectic and intense. Sykkuno wondered if John was okay. He desperately hoped he was. It would be terrible for Jodi if he wasn’t. A man suddenly peeked his head in, catching everyone’s attention.

“Training Corps, assemble in five minutes.” He announced before leaving again. Scarra gave them all a smile as he finished wrapping the wound on Brodin’s hand.

“Go on.” They all shouted their goodbyes as they streamed out the infirmary. Sykkuno smiled at Scarra before pulling Corpse out the door with him. They all assembled in their usual lines, awaiting the instructor. The man stepped up to the podium and saluted them all. They saluted back, and he began his announcement.

“We are in need of new soldiers to fill in for the fallen.” The instructor announced as the training corps stood before him. Rae was bubbling with excitement beside him, and Sykkuno smiled at her. Toast gave a shove to get her to calm down. It seen turned into a small-scale shoving war, and Corpse pulled him slightly further away from the duo. “Therefore, we have selected those who have risen to the challenge of slaying the largest dragon today. You all are given warnings, but you have demonstrated your bravery.” The instructor started calling out names, and Sykkuno watched in delight as his friends were promoted one by one.

“Rae Hoffsetter!” Rae nearly shrieked, but she resisted at the last moment, acting as calm as she could as she mounted the stage. Toast was called next. He was calm as he stepped forward to stand beside Jack and Ludwig. Poki, Brodin… there was also Félix. Now that didn’t really make Sykkuno particularly happy, but he gave a superficial congratulatory nod. The instructor walked in front of him, and Sykkuno waited with bated breath, brimming with anticipation.

He walked right past him.

Sykkuno’s breath hitched, his eyes widening in realization. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He nearly didn’t register as the instructor moved on to Corpse, who was emotionless as he stared at the man.

“You have the capacity, but you are too inexperienced at this point.” The instructor said. “Your performance was excellent.” Sykkuno’s body started shaking, his eyes wide and unblinking to the point it hurt. He clenched his fists and bit down on his lip as the instructor moved back to the front. His friends were all standing before him, now as full-fledged airborne soldiers. Blood started rushing toward his head. He couldn’t hear anything. He couldn’t feel anything.

He had failed.

The rest of the ceremony flew past, and he could barely remember his friends arguing with the instructor over why he wasn’t promoted. The reason was he didn’t really perform any deeds of great bravery. Corpse stayed beside him the whole time, and Sykkuno could hear him mutter under his breath.

“These people… they don’t value lives over killing. What is wrong with them?” Sykkuno remained silent as his friend glared at the instructor. He left the scene soon after, opting to go back to the barracks to spent at least some time to himself. Corpse, who still had problems with social cues, followed him. Not that he minded, of course. Corpse was a nice companion, and he really was quiet. As soon as he got to his bed he sat down and leaned against the bedpost. Corpse sat across him on his own bed. They remained silent for a few minutes, before surprisingly, Corpse broke it.

“Why do you want to become an airborne soldier that badly?” He asked nonchalantly. Okay, that really wasn’t what Sykkuno was expecting, but he still answered truthfully.

“I wanted to fly. Those cables give me a sense of freedom I can’t find anywhere else.” He said softly. Corpse seemed to be in thought as he looked down. Sykkuno waited, and Corpse spoke once more.

“What happens if you don’t make it?”

“We become the canon aimers. The ones on the towers. They defend the fortress and sometimes participate in missions not involving village homes. It’s a safe but boring job.” He recited from memory. It was an incredibly safe job, as the aimers weren’t frontline fighters. They had canons, which had a lot more explosive power than thunder spears, and they didn’t need to face dragons head on. However, they were forever bound to the ground. They weren’t authorized with the gears, and Sykkuno knew he could never accept that. Corpse’s eye was intense as he suddenly looked up.

“Do you think…” Corpse swallowed audibly as he continued. “Maybe you should quit and try becoming an aimer.” Sykkuno’s eyes widened, and he stared into his friend’s eyes, trying his best to not get angry.

“Are you… suggesting this because I didn’t make it today?” He asked incredulously. Corpse’s eye was unyielding as it continued to focus on him. “I can make it next time. I promise!” Something ugly bubbled up in Sykkuno’s heart, and he clenched his teeth. Corpse nearly got promoted today, and he wasn’t even here for two weeks. Sykkuno had been training for more than a month.

“You’ve seen what happened today. It’s dangerous.”

“This is rare! Usually this doesn’t happen! This is an accident!”

“That’s all it would take. I covered for you today.”

“You’re not being fair!” Sykkuno raised his voice as he sat up straighter to stare his friend down. “It’s my dream to fly! I can’t just give up on it!” He balled his fists. “Just because you’re so much better doesn’t mean you can just say that to me!” Corpse’s eye narrowed as he actually stood up from the bed. Sykkuno leaped up after him, and they stood face to face, both stubborn and angry.

“Sykkuno- ”

“I’m not bad at flying, Corpse! I may not be that good at aiming, but I’m getting there. You aren’t that good at aiming either!”

“That’s not the- ”

“Then what’s the point?!” Sykkuno demanded as he glared at Corpse. The man looked conflicted as he stared intensely at Sykkuno. There was a beat of silence.

“I don’t want you to die!” Corpse suddenly shouted, his deep voice making it sound even more intimidating than it was. Sykkuno flinched, and Corpse’s eye widened as he shrank back. They both stood, frozen, their chests rising and falling with their heavy breathing. Sykkuno’s mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t make a sound. Corpse looked away. Sykkuno stepped back toward the door, his legs already shaking.

“That’s just an excuse, isn’t it?” He wasn’t making any sense, and it was just his pettiness speaking if he was being honest, but Sykkuno didn’t care. “I thought you, out of all people, would believe in me and my abilities.” Tears started welling up in his eyes, and he looked up at his friend. Corpse completely froze. “But I was wrong.” He rushed out the door before the tears started rolling down his face, leaving his friend in the barracks as he ran toward the streets.

* * *

As soon as Toast got into the room, he realized what happened. The second he laid his eyes on Corpse standing awkwardly by the bed, he understood. Sighing, he walked up to the man, who looked up, his expression unreadable.

“You made Sykkuno upset?” It wasn’t a question. Corpse seemed to know it too. “You probably made him cry as well.” Toast stared intently at him, which Corpse returned with just as much intensity. He sighed and continued.

“Let me guess. You asked him to quit.” Corpse’s eye widened, and it narrowed in wariness. “Now before you ask why I know what you did, know that I’ve known Sykkuno for a long time, and I’m smart.”

“You are the same as me, are you not?” Corpse asked coldly as he glared at him menacingly. “If you’re the friend you said you are, you don’t want him to go and give his life away like that either. You said you’re smart. There’s no way you don’t know.” Toast sighed and leaned back on the doorframe.

“Look, Corpse. I know you’re worried, and believe me, I am too, but this is Sykkuno’s dream.” Corpse took a breath, but Toast shushed him. “He’s always been helping and being considerate of others, and it’s the one and only thing he wants. It makes him happy, Corpse, and I’m not taking that away from him. I truly wish for his happiness.”

“I would rather him be alive than just happy.” Corpse retorted. Toast looked away. They remained silent for a while, not meeting eyes. He could hear Corpse’s heavy breathing form where he stood, and he took his time to craft out his next sentence. In all honesty, he didn’t really trust Corpse at first. This man just got into the military, with amnesia, and something told him that there was something deeper to this guy because no one did that. One does not simply join the military when they lose their memory. They usually spent time with family and familiar objects, trying to piece together their life. Corpse, however, had no interest of doing that. Sykkuno never even told him whether Corpse told him where he came from or not. He turned to Corpse again, and the man had not moved an inch, his glare still intimidating as ever. Toast took a deep breath.

“Look, why can’t he have both?” He asked as he stood up straight and spread his arms. “I’ve always protected him, and it seems to me you want to protect him too. Together, we will keep him out of harm’s way, without making him feel like we’re babying him.” Corpse frowned, but he didn’t protest. Toast gave him a tentative smile. “I’m actually really grateful you covered for him while he saved the soldiers like the overzealous, selfless idiot that he is.” Corpse bristled at his words, but he ignored it and extended a hand out towards him. “Without you he would probably not have come out in one piece. I’m in no hurry to greet the charred body of my friend. I prefer it never happening, and with you I think we can manage it.”

“You are one interesting guy, Toast.” Corpse replied as he stepped forward and shook his hand. “You have to hold up to your end of the deal.” Toast rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he smirked at the man.

“Oh, believe me, I will. I’ve been doing it for years after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, new chapter. New drama (okay, it's probably the first time there has been drama), and some other characters. I'm so sorry John, but don't worry he's not dead. Just injured. I'm still in the midst of exams, but when inspiration strikes, you type. That's the way it is. As usual, any form of feedback is appreciated. Whether it's a hi, a comment on your favorite moments, theories... anything is great. It really makes my day whenever I see there's something in my inbox :D


	6. Chapter 6

The streets were bustling with noise and people even during the night, but Sykkuno didn't care about that. All he wanted was a little corner or whatever that was quiet where he can sit and mope like a loser. He wandered around, looking for places, and eventually settled on a more peaceful part of town, just a few streets away from the noisy area. It was a place Toast took him too sometimes, and it was perfect for his purpose. He found an abandoned building and decided this was it.

It was peaceful, undisturbed, and frankly quite pathetic. Perfect.

Sykkuno curled up into a ball on the ground against the wall. He already regretted the way he yelled at Corpse. His friend’s face was still clear in his mind, and he never really wanted to see that. A shudder went through his body when he remembered the way Corpse shouted at him. That was the first time he was afraid of him, of the man without his memory he had taken in from out of the walls. He never told anyone of this, not even Toast or Rae. He never thought there would be a day he would feel fear toward this mysterious person he actually knew nothing about.

Even so, he felt this undeserved demand for his belief in his abilities. Corpse owed him nothing, not even the belief he so craved. He just didn’t want his friend to think he was weak and incapable. Sykkuno smiled self-deprecatingly as he wiped at his tears. Maybe that was why he wanted that belief so bad: perhaps deep down inside he knew he wasn’t as strong as the others, and he knew in the end he would fail. There was another reason he really wanted to become an airborne soldier, and it was relatively new. It was a small secret he held in his heart.

He wanted to find that black dragon again. Sykkuno smiled when he remembered the weirdly gentle dragon. The way it covered him with its wings was still fresh in his mind until now, and sometimes, during the dead of night, when he lay awake on his bed listening to the breathing of his barrack mates, he would savor the memory of the huge black webbed wing sheltered him from the outside world. The comfort he felt from that could almost always lure him back into sleep if he covered his head with the covers and pretended it was those wings.

If he was a canon aimer, he couldn’t exactly go out as much as he liked.

He wouldn’t even be authorized to use those gears he so loved.

“Jesus, I’m so stupid.” Sykkuno whispered to himself as he curled tighter into himself. “Why did I think could do whatever I want?” He had always thought dragons were beautiful, but now, after nearly getting chewed in half by one, he was slowly starting to believe that only one was truly beautiful, and somehow, it was getting one step away from his grasp. There he sat, wallowing in his own regret and self-pity, until two shadows approached his sight. He looked up, and his eyes met two of his best friends’ relieved yet worried faces.

“Oh my god, Sykkunie. There you are!” Jack exclaimed as he bent down slightly. “We heard you ran off and decided to come looking for you.” Ludwig snorted beside him and placed his hands behind his head.

“Rae was pissed.” He informed. “We decided to go find you when Toast was trying to stop her from murdering Corpse.” He smiled as he went forward and sat down beside Sykkuno. “Didn’t want to stay until things got ugly.” He playfully nudged him, and Sykkuno smiled weakly.

“Why are you here though? You look sad.” Jack asked as he also sat down in front of him. “Does that have something to do with Corpse?” Sykkuno looked away. As much as a good friend Jack was, it was very embarrassing to recount the petty argument he had with Corpse.

“Look, I’m warming up to the guy, but if Corpse made you this sad, I’m going to join Rae and beat him up.” Sykkuno immediately whirled around, and his two friends smiled teasingly at him in triumph. He pouted and covered his flaming face.

“Aww, c’mon Sykkunie, just tell us!” Jack encouraged him while he and Ludwig laughed.

“Okay, okay, I will.” Sykkuno gave up resisting and leaned against the wall. Ludwig and Jack immediately stopped chuckling and looked at him expectantly. He sighed. “I was just a little upset about a comment Corpse made, that’s all.”

“Well, what did he say?” Ludwig prompted. Sykkuno took a deep breath.

“He… said maybe I should consider quitting.” The silence that followed was deafening. Sykkuno glanced at his two friends nervously, wondering what was going on their minds. Both Jack and Ludwig had an oddly thoughtful look on their faces. Did they think he was weak as well?

“Why? Did he give you a reason?”

“He must’ve been worried about your safety.” Ludwig and Jack said at the same time. Ludwig immediately looked at Jack indignantly.

“Why are you assuming that?”

“What? You think there’s another reason?” Jack shot back. “Look, I know him better than you do, fake friend!”

“What did you just call me?” Sykkuno stared at the two in confusion as they started bickering like all his friends did. Jack rolled his eyes at Ludwig and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Unlike you, who actually pretended to be his rival, I’m his _friend._ ” Ludwig made a face at him, but stayed silent. Sykkuno cleared his throat slightly, and the two turned to him with identical sheepish looks on their faces.

“Oops, we got carried away. Sorry, Sykkunie.” Sykkuno gave him a smile, which he returned. “Okay, so back to Corpse. He asked you to quit for the reason I said, right?” Sykkuno nodded. “I mean, he could’ve phrased it a little better, but it’s Corpse we’re talking about. Even so, he really didn’t mean anything bad. I know Corpse, and let me tell you, he can’t think anything bad about you even if he tried.”

“I thought he was implying I was weak-”

“Oh, no, no, no.” Ludwig interrupted him as he got closer to his face. Sykkuno leaned back instinctively, to which the man gave him a face of mock disappointment. “You are not weak, Sykkuno, and if Corpse thinks that he really needs a beating.” Sykkuno immediately shook his head in panic.

“No, no, that’s- ”

“Don’t worry, Syukkunie. You think Ludwig has the balls to do that. I doubt it.” Jack intercepted, ignoring Ludwig’s outraged shriek. “The thing is Corpse probably just wanted you safe, you know? He protected you after all. What would you feel if someone you protected with your life told you they were going to do the one thing that got them into danger in the first place?” Sykkuno looked down in shame. A hand came up and gave him a pat on his head, he looked up, and his eyes met Jack’s kind blue ones. His friend gave him a bright smile.

“Don’t worry. Corpse probably understands now. Especially after Toast is finished with him.” Sykkuno’s eyes widened, and he got up frantically.

“Wait, what do you mean after Toast is done with him?” He asked tentatively. Ludwig smirked, which gave him absolutely no sense of comfort or reassurance whatsoever.

“It means after Toast is done with him. Last I saw the guy he wanted to uh… “talk” with Corpse.”

“Oh Jesus, Jack, Ludwig, we have to go find them now.” Sykkuno started walking, but then realized he was alone. He looked behind him and saw his two friends still lazing around on the ground. “Guys… guys?”

“Aw, don’t worry about it, Sykkuno. Toast can handle him.”

“Ludwig, that’s not the point- ”

“Corpse isn’t going to lose to Toast.”

“Jack, please- ”

“What I’m saying is, relax, let them do what they do and stay with us!” With a tug Sykkuno stumbled rather ungracefully beside his two friends once more. “You’re staying with us and we’re going to do some catching up. Nowadays you only talk to Corpse. We want some Sykkuno time too!” Ludwig declared. Sykkuno stared at them both helplessly as he settled himself on the ground. Looks like he wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

By the time they were done with him, Sykkuno actually relaxed and was feeling fine. Even so, he was very nervous as he stepped back into the barracks. He didn’t know how to face Corpse, but Jack and Ludwig had given him such a pep talk by the end of it he just agreed to everything just to get them to be quiet. He inched into the room, looking around anxiously. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but he really didn’t expect Corpse to _not_ be here. The man was nowhere to be seen. Sykkuno’s heart dropped slightly as he sat down on the floor beside his bed. He didn’t really want to just go to sleep and not wait for his friend. Toast was probably already asleep. There was a little bit of a racket outside, and he wondered if that was Rae yelling at Corpse the way she does for everything she stands for. He just hoped Rae didn’t go too far and deafened Corpse’s ears. It was a long while, but just when he was about to fall asleep right there on the ground against the bedpost like an idiot, a shadow covered his body. He looked up, blinking tiredly, only to see dark fabric overhead. He frowned and shifted his gaze slightly. That was when he noticed Corpse was standing beside him. He was holding out his uniform cloak over Sykkuno’s head, casting him in a comforting shadow. It was a familiar gesture, done by a different being.

“Corpse?” He asked quietly. His friend blinked, and lowered his arm slowly as he looked away. “Where were you?”

“Rae was yelling at me for ten minutes while Toast tried to hold her back.” Corpse reported. Ah, predictable. Sykkuno smiled at his friends’ antics and shifted his posture slightly. “Where were you then?”

“Ludwig and Jack were talking to me.” He replied. He stood up from the floor and met Corpse’s gaze. They stood, looking at each other, as silence settled between them. Corpse was no longer the aggressive, intimidating person who had yelled at him: his stance was meek and hunched. Sykkuno stood awkwardly, contemplating the best time to break the silence.

“I’m sorry.” He looked up in surprise. Corpse’s voice was soft as he continued. “Toast said it was your dream. It hurt you when I urged you to quit.”

“It’s not all your fault.” Sykkuno replied, giving him a tentative smile. “I put myself in danger, and you saved me. Then I told you I would be completely okay to put myself in danger again.” Corpse was still for a minute, before he chuckled.

“I know you would.” He teased. Sykkuno pouted, and it elicited more giggles.

“I’m sorry.” He said sincerely, and his friend finally looked him in the eye. It was intense and frankly, it scared him a little. It wasn’t angry like before though, so that was good. Without warning, Corpse abruptly pulled him against him, and Sykkuno let out an _oof_ as his face smushed against his chest. He felt Corpse’s breath beside his ear, and the man tightened his arms around his body. Sykkuno’s face lit up. This was so… close. Even closer than when Corpse pulled him onto the bed.

“I don’t want you to die.” Corpse whispered, his deep voice raspy as he leaned his head against Sykkuno’s shoulder. “I will protect you for as long as I can. I won’t let you die. Not you, not your friends.” He felt himself get pulled in even tighter, almost to the point of hurting. “I want to be by your side, for as long as I can.” Sykkuno sighed against his friend. It felt comforting, with just the two of them, deep in each other’s embrace. It felt different from all the times his friends hugged him, and he liked it.

“I promise I won’t get myself in danger if I can help it.” He assured him. Corpse let go slightly to look at him in the eye. Sykkuno smiled. “Thank you for protecting me, Corpse.”

“It is nothing.” Corpse replied as they finally broke apart. Sykkuno’s cheeks were still warm, and for once he wished he could have a mask like Corpse’s. Speaking of which…

“How did you survive, Corpse? You did only have one gas tank.” He asked. Corpse shrugged.

“I used a single hook and propelled myself in only one direction. It was more like a pendulum swing more than anything. I couldn’t go into the air anymore.”

“But the heat… how did you endure it? It was hot, wasn’t it?” Sykkuno continued. Corpse blinked, and his eye flicked to the side.

“I don’t know. It didn’t feel that hot to me.” He said softly. Sykkuno nodded and watched as his friend picked at his gloved fingers. Another question came to his mind.

“Have you regained your memories yet?” He asked. The man cocked his head to the side, his curly hair falling into his eyes. He shook his head.

“I only remembered a fight… then I was there.” His voice was oddly wavering, but Sykkuno could only guess it was because memories were like that. People usually spoke of their forgotten experiences in unconnected, out of order segments.

“I always wondered why you wear gloves. I thought it could have something to do with your past.” He prompted. Corpse looked down at his gloved hands, and his eyes narrowed.

“They’re just burned. Like my face.” He replied as he tugged them even further down his wrist. He suddenly walked forward into Sykkuno’s space, and with a quick movement, grabbed his hand. Sykkuno gasped, and before he could say anything, he was pulled over to Corpse’s bed, where he was dragged onto the mattress beside the man. He tried to pull away, only to be met with an unamused, stubborn stare.

“Stay.” Why did he have to say that word? That one command was enough to make him weaken and bend to his friend’s outrageous demands. Sykkuno sighed as he relaxed against the sheets. The covers were pulled over him gently, and Corpse’s body settled beside him. His breath was slow and regular, like a lullaby.

“Rest, Sykkuno.” He whispered. Sykkuno nodded in defeat and closed his eyes. Before he felt himself fall into dreamland, he felt a hand come up and brush away some hair from his face. He was only slightly conscious at that point, but he clearly felt something soft touch his skin, unlike the texture of gloves. Individual fingers carded through his hair as well as caressed his cheeks, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter. New fluff, some revelations, some foreshadowing, a lot is sown into the story, destined to bear fruits in further chapters (if enough people like it, that is. I really hope you guys do. I hope I don't get too discouraged to go on). The next chapter will introduce new characters, and it will be the last before the next arc. Can anyone guess who they would be? Hint: they're not in this circle of streamers, but are huge as well. Of course, if your comment isn't a guess, you're also welcome! I especially like people sharing their favorite moments, gives me a sense of what I did good on. Questions are also welcome: if you have a question, ask me in the comments, and if it's because my writing skills just weren't that good to explain it, I will explain. However, if there could be a spoiler, I will not share information. See you next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Warmth.

Tightness.

Sykuno’s eyes opened as he stirred awake. He was surrounded by something warm, and he didn’t quite know what it was. He blinked sleepily and looked down, only to see an arm around his waist, covered completely in black fabric. The now familiar scent, which was quite unlike any other he had smelled, invaded his nostrils.

Yes. He was in Corpse’s bed, and the man was cuddling him tightly against his chest, his breath coming out in a slow, calming rhythm. Even as he slept, he still had his mask on. Sykuno, with his sleep-muddled mind, turned over with difficulty in his friend’s embrace and instinctively reached out to lift it, only to snap out of it at the last second, when his finger was hooked onto the bottom.

_Oh Jesus, what was he doing?_ Sykkuno pulled back as if he was burned. He really shouldn’t breach Corpse’s privacy like that. If he wanted to cover his face, he couldn’t just uncover it without his consent. He gently pulled himself out of Corpse’s arm and laid it onto the bed. Corpse didn’t stir, his curls falling into his eye. Sykkuno smiled and left the room, only to run into Toast.

“Sykkuno, you’re up.” Toast greeted him as he grabbed his arm. “C’mon, John’s awake.”

“John? Is he okay?” Sykkuno asked worriedly as his friend pulled him along to the infirmary.

“Well, you’ll see.” That didn’t sound very comforting, but he still followed. Inside the infirmary, he could see a few of his friends already there: Lily, Brodin, Yvonne, Poki… and most importantly, Jodi. She was sitting beside John’s bed, looking way less sad and more annoyed. On the bed, John was sitting up, and there was a placating smile on his face.

“Jodi, I’m fine- ”

“You are not fine! Goddammit, John, you think this is fine? What the fuck is wrong with you?” She shrieked. Sykkuno shrank away from her as he came closer. John gave him a wink as he approached.

“Hey, Sykkuno. Morning.”

“John, how are you?”

“I’m okay…” John’s voice trailed off as soon as he met Jodi’s glare. Sykkuno looked down, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw the extent of the damage.

“John… no…” There were bandages everywhere as expected, but what caught Sykkuno’s attention was the stump that was now John’s right leg. The bandages wrapped around it were speckled with dark red.

John would never be an airborne soldier again.

Jodi glared at the man as Sykkuno looked up. John didn’t seem too worried for some reason, which he couldn’t understand.

“Look, John, just because you did this for me, doesn’t mean you have to be fine with it!” She yelled. John shrugged as he looked down at his own leg.

“I already know I would be injured pretty bad. Scarra and Michael are building a pretty decent prosthetic for me, so even though I’m sad I don’t have my right foot anymore, I’ll be fine. My goal was for you to not end up like me, so in that regard, I succeeded.” John glanced at Jodi, and his face was slightly pink. “I… um…” Jodi frowned, and he rushed through the rest. “Ireallylikeyou”

“What?” She asked, sounding and looking very confused and lost. Toast took that moment to give everyone a push.

“Alright, let’s go. They obviously need privacy.” He said calmly as John’s cheeks flamed up. Sykkuno raised an eyebrow, but he allowed himself to get pushed out, unlike his friends, who were protesting all the way. They chatted for a while in the hallway, before parting ways to get ready for breakfast. When their friends left, Toast turned to him.

“I heard you had a huge fight with Corpse.” He stated. Sykkuno nodded guiltily as he looked away. “I talked to him. I hope you guys made up.”

“Yeah, we did. Thanks, Toast. You’re the best.” Sykkuno said earnestly. Toast merely gave him a smile.

“Now, don’t tell Rae you said that or she’s going to have your head. She really went off last night with Corpse, you know. Threatened to beat him up if you guys don’t make up, and I quote, “just date already”.” Sykkuno yelped and fervently shook his head, his face burning with embarrassment as he glared at Toast with as much power he could muster, which to anyone else, looked like a kitten trying to glare at its owner.

“We’re just friends, Toast. Just friends!” His mind went to how Corpse hugged him, and he covered his face. Toast, that bastard, was already laughing evilly. “Toooaaaastttt.”

“What is going on here?” Jack asked through a yawn as he emerged from one of the rooms, his hair sticking out in every direction, a far fetch from his usual manbun. Sykkuno glanced at Toast, pleading with his eyes for him to stay quiet, but one look told him he was a complete fool in assuming Toast would do anything he said.

“We’re just discussing about how Sykkuno and Corpse are **_just friends_.**” He emphasized the last two words, and Jack burst out in laughter.

“Oh my god, are you kidding? Wait til Ludwig hears this. He’s going to be elated!” He roared in even more laughter, much to Sykkuno’s further embarrassment. He was still chuckling as he pulled his hair back and tied it up with an elastic on his wrist. Rae had at this point awoken and found them, and her hair was still messy and knotted as she squinted at the three of them.

“You’re talking about Sykkuno and Corpse? Lovebirds?” She asked crankily, completely ignoring Sykkuno’s sputtering. “Go on, tell me more. Hopefully something I _don’t_ know.”

“Oh, you know everything, Rae.” Toast replied airily as he watched Rae drag her fingers through her long tresses, combing out the tangles and brushing the strands into a side part. “Alright, are we going to have breakfast or not?”

“But Corpse isn’t- ” Everyone gave him a knowing glance, and Sykkuno covered his face completely, his cheeks hot enough to catch on fire.

“Oh wow, very unbiased, no special treatment. _Friends._ ” Rae commented, smirking. Sykkuno pouted as he turned away, trying his best to ignore the snickers behind his back.

“I’ll go wake Corpse up!” He called over his shoulder as he promptly ran away. He ran until he couldn’t hear his friends’ laughter. He entered the barracks, and Corpse was still asleep. He walked over to the bed and bent down. Gently, he shook his shoulders.

“Corpse, wake up. It’s time to have breakfast.” He whispered. No response. The man’s chest rose and fell just as peacefully as before. Sykkuno pouted and shook a little harder. “Corpse… Corpse… ” The man stirred, and Sykkuno was filled with hope. He was just about to raise his voice a notch, when suddenly Corpse’s eye opened. For a second his eye flashed a bright violet. Sykkuno took a step back, alarmed, but Corpse’s eye looked normal again. Did he just… imagined that? Corpse sat up slowly, his eyes trained on him as he blinked the sleepiness away.

“Sykkuno?” He asked, his voice raspier than usual.

“C… Corpse…?” The man stood up, pushing off the covers, and walked up to him. With a deep sigh, he leaned his head on Sykkuno’s shoulder. “Corpse… breakfast?”

“Alright.” His friend mumbled against his neck. He shuffled back to grab a coat of some sort, and Sykkuno could only stand there, rooted to the spot like an idiot.

_Just friends. We’re just friends. Friends hug each other, right? RIGHT????_ His thoughts went rampantly as he watched Corpse pull a coat over his shoulders and turn to him, his one eye soft and pliant.

“Let’s go, Sykkuno.” He said softly. Sykkuno could only nod dumbly as Corpse grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the cafeteria. As they went through the corridor, Sykkuno peeked at his friend, who still looked quite tired. He was still blinking the sleep out of his eyes, and it felt quite domestic. By the time they got to the cafeteria, Corpse seemed to have completely woken up. Sykkuno immediately spotted their friends, who were all chatting over their food at a table. He quickly led Corpse over to the line for breakfast and got their food. It was scrambled eggs today, with potatoes on the side. As usual, Corpse put the food in a little glass box he got and followed him to the table. As soon as he sat down, he knew what was coming. One look at his friends’ sparkling eyes made him regret coming to breakfast in the first place.

“Syyyyykkunooooo?” Lily drawled out as she grinned almost evilly at him, Michael at her side, who was doing nothing to stop her. Sykkuno gave him a look of total betrayal. “Aaaaand Corpse?”

“Yeah, Sykkuno, you two are spending so much time together these days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you alone for the last five days!” Poki yelled. Sykkuno groaned and covered his face in absolute embarrassment. Corpse just watched the interaction in silence. Lily glanced at him, and an even more evil smile appeared on her face.

“Oh, Cooooorpse.” She called out. Corpse looked up at her, the question evident in his eye. “What is Sykkuno to you?”

“Someone I want to protect.” He answered without missing a beat, like there was nothing wrong with his reply. There was a collective “ooh” that went around the table.

“ _Someone I want to protect._ Corpse… seriously… shut up… you’re making me blush.” Jack managed to get out through his laughing fit. “And it’s not even addressed _to_ me. Look at poor Sykkunie over there. Oh my god, guys, _look_!” Everyone immediately turned, and Sykkuno let out a pained screech as he hid his face against the table, but it was already too late.

“Holy shit, his face was so red! Sykkuno, you’re never living this down!” Rae screamed as she and Poki started chatting in rapid fire. All the guys were laughing at him, and all Sykkuno could do was remain smushed against the table, not even daring to look up. He felt a hand on his head, and he tentatively looked up, just enough to see what was happening. He was immediately met with Corpse’s innocent-looking face, which had now transitioned to slightly concerned. He forced a smile on his own face, just to reassure his friend.

“Look at this bullshit, guys. _Just friends_ my ass.” Ludwig complained as he pointed at them in mock disgust. There were varying voices of agreement, and Sykkuno was almost tempted to get back into his turtle form. Corpse, however, held him back by the hair, his large gloved hand grabbing his head.

“What are you doing, Sykkuno?”

“You’re making this hard for me!”

“Why?” Corpse looked so confused, and all Sykkuno wanted was scream. Even so, the second he met Corpse’s eye, his words die in his throat. It looked so pure, and somehow, he just couldn’t find it within himself to explain to him, wanting to hear the sweet words come out of his mouth, completely truthful and honest. It was terrible really, but he couldn’t help it. Conversation eventually went away from them and their ambiguous relationship, and breakfast ended. His feelings, however, continued even as everyone moved on. As they took their plates to the sinks, he sneaked a glance at Corpse, who chose at that specific moment to turn to look at him. Sunlight streamed through the window, shining upon Corpse’s curly hair and illuminating the only patch of skin visible. His eye gleamed under the light, a pool of black with shiny purple flecks at the bottom. Sykkuno’s heart missed a beat.

_“This can’t be… can it?”_ He thought as he fumbled with the dirty dishes in his hands. _“I can’t be catching feelings for… someone I don’t even know what he looks like, can I?”_

* * *

“Look Sapnap! It’s the place where we sign up! Let’s go!” The shorter of the two yelled as he adjusted the goggles on his head, pulling on his friend's arm.

“Okay, okay, just let me grab a sandwich for god’s sake, George.” The man with a white hairband grumbled as he paid the vendor and shoved the food in his mouth. His friend rolled his eyes and dragged him over to the notice. Together, they looked up at the bulletin board.

_Military Signups_

_Requirements: Fitness, Age of at least sixteen, No health problems._

_Positions: Aimers, Airborne_

_Note: Airborne soldiers require a physical capabilities test, and only those who pass are accepted._

“That seems fairly simple enough.” George exclaimed. Sapnap shrugged and continued munching on his food. It was easy to meet: they were both over sixteen and almost twenty, with a basic level of fitness and health, him probably fitter than George, with his tendency to fight with people. He listened to George mutter underneath his breath as he did when he thought about things. There was a group of people already in line, and it wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either.

“Look George, if we want this to be over with we have to get in line quickly.” He reminded his friend, who perked up and turned to him.

“Yeah, yeah, I suppose.” He said as he grabbed his arm. Before they headed toward the line, however, a voice interrupted them.

“So this is where people sign up.” Sapnap turned, and his eyes met a tall man. He looked up slightly and was able to take in more of the person’s appearance. He had dark blond hair, a very angular jawline, and really pale skin. He was in a green hooded shirt and simple brown pants. He was admittedly quite handsome, and Sapnap could already envision girls swarming him for his looks.

“Yeah, are you here to sign up too?” George asked politely as the man’s eyes flicked up to the notice.

“Yes.” With that, they all got in line. George was tapping his foot, and Sapnap was eyeing everyone around them, analyzing how well they would do in a fight. He loved fighting for sport, and through his experience he could more or less predict how well a person would do if he went up against him. He peeked back at the blond man, who was looking around passively, his hands in his pockets.

Now that was a person who he knew he would never dare go against. The man was tall as heck, and his long limbs already gave him a priceless advantage.

Pretty soon, it was their turn, and they filled in a form, which asked for their name and general health and fitness questions, as well as a simple one about why they wanted to join. It was all quite simple. They handed in the form, and the woman at the stand confirmed their names by calling them. Sapnap had filled in the square for canon aimer, like George. They had both seen too much, and even though he thought he might do much better than his friend, he didn’t want him to be left alone. George gave him a thumbs up, and they turned to leave.

“Dream?” The lady called. Sapnap and George turned back, curious. The blond man from earlier stood haughtily, hands in pockets, as he answered in a similarly nonchalant tone.

“Yes.”

“Your name… ”

“That is my name.” The man cut her off coldly as he looked down at the woman. His dirty blond hair fell into his eyes, and judging by how the lady took a step back, Sapnap could only guess how terrifying he must’ve looked. “And I am here to kill the dragons.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Ladies and Gentlemen... let's welcome... members of the Dream SMP! Oh yes, Dream and his friends shall be joining us in the story, and there is going to be a lot of them. Something to note is that unlike the Amigops and their friends, members of the Dream SMP might not retain their personalities, besides the fact that I just am not that familiar with them, is because uh... they weren't there when I initially planned the story, so a lot of them are modified to have specific roles in the plot. Also, the lore of Dream SMP is not applicable in this story. Preexisting family relationships will not be what these characters have in this fic, so just imagine them as blank slates waiting to be created, I suppose. As usual, comment whatever fancies you, be it favorite moments, theories on further development, or just the simple hi. I see so many of you lurking in my story, and I always wonder what you guys think of it lol.
> 
> Fun fact: I had a hard, intense discussion with a random person on YouTube over Aot, and in the end, can you guess what they told me, after harshly critiquing my argument skills and sounding all condescending? They haven't watched the show or read the manga. 
> 
> My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.
> 
> Thank you for reading my rant. Love you all! Oh and if anyone wants to see some art I made for this fic, comment down below what's the best way to show it. I literally don't know how.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's some works I did for this story. Just basic character designs really, with emphasis on the eyes because I was experimenting with styles. Those of you on mobile... it might look weird for you. Sorry. I’m updating in a few hours, so this is a... I don’t know... fun little thing for you guys to hopefully enjoy before that.


	9. Dragons at Dawn: Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're fans of the Dream SMP, head over to Humans at Dusk for the continuation. This place will be mostly the amigops. They'll come together at one point, so reading both is advised. Of course, in the end, I really can't tell you what to do XD

The first day of military training was… with lack of better words, boring.

At least, that was what Sapnap thought as he and George stretched for the physical test. Around them were young people like them, and everyone was minding their own business, congregating into little friend groups. He looked over at George, who was polishing his goggles.

“Bet I could beat you in a race.” He jabbed. George rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

“Oh really? We’ll see, Sapnap. Just because you’re like, a few centimeters taller, doesn’t make you faster.” He retorted as he stood up from the ground. “Plus, who cares if you win? It’s about passing, and just about everyone probably can do it.”

“Still gonna race you, loser.”

“Ha, just you wait, idiot.” Sapnap chuckled at his friend as they went toward the starting line. He reached up and tightened his white hairband. Beside them, a guy with short brown hair and a mischievous smile stood, jumping slightly to warm up. George pulled down his goggles and got ready. Sapnap followed him, and everybody in their group crouched.

“Ready? Go!” With a bang, they all sprinted forward. Sapnap ran as fast as he could, with George close behind his heels. His hair flew into his eyes a few times, but he still crossed the line faster than his friend did. He gave a victorious whoop.

“Ha, eat that, dipshit!” He shouted as he panted. George glared at him with mock rage and bent over, trying to catch his breath. In terms of performance, they did quite well. Not the fastest, but definitely faster than three quarters of the others. The guy who stood next to George grinned at them. He had a color-blocked shirt, with a faint spiral pattern on it.

“Hey, you guys were fast!” He congratulated as he walked over. “I think I saw you during sign-ups, but I didn’t really greet you guys. I’m Karl!” George stood up and smiled back.

“I’m George, and this is my friend Sapnap.” He introduced as he shook hands with Karl. Sapnap gave the man a grin and shook his hand as well. Karl had an infectious smile, and they were happy to find out that they were pretty compatible in terms of conversation. Sapnap found out that unlike them, Karl was born within the fortress, and had lived his life rather undisturbed by the dragons. He even promised to take them to some of his childhood favorite places. Pretty soon, even when the next test started, they were chatting away like old friends.

“Oh, so you know a few of these guys?” Sapnap asked as Karl pointed out a guy who had a blue cap on and was happily flirting with some of the girls. From where Sapnap stood, he could tell the guy was handsome, with a grin he could only consider as shit-eating.

“Yeah, that dude over there? He’s Quackity. We’re good friends since we were probably five. He’s quite the life of the party, and really, he’s probably going to be the most annoying and obnoxious person you’ll ever meet.” Karl explained. “And that guy over there?” He pointed at another guy who had orange hair and a lilting smile. “That’s Fundy. He’s Wilbur’s brother.” Sapnap raised an eyebrow as the man smirked almost seductively at everyone he met. “Yeah, he’s also kinda a flirt.”

“Kinda, you say?” George asked as they started their stretching test. All three of them were pretty bad, and the test ended with them screeching like monkeys as they pushed each other down to their maximum stretching capacity, which was embarrassingly small. Sapnap swore he heard his spine crack when George pressed down a little too hard. The rest of the tests went through smoother, with all the usual tests like endurance, jumping ability, combat (he completely crushed those). Karl was surprisingly agile at the obstacle course, as well as George. Sapnap scowled at his friend, who gave him a victorious smirk when he lost the race and nearly tripped over a bar. The instructor eliminated the people who didn’t pass, and then he turned to the rest of the recruits.

“Alright.” The man looked down at everyone from the podium. “Just call me Mr. Beast.” Someone chuckled, and Mr. Beast immediately glared at them. “Who was that?”

The group was dead silent.

Mr. Beast’s eyes narrowed as his eyes traveled over every recruit.

“I’ll let the first time slide, but if I hear a second jibe at my authority, you will regret it.” He warned as his eyes calmed down. “Now, onto the main topic. Everyone has passed the test, and I will announce the ranking for the first ten. You will be given further choices.” Mr. Beast immediately started calling out names, and Sapnap relaxed. No way any of them made it. He saw so many people who did so much better than he did.

“Fifth: Alyssa!” A girl with curly blond hair and sharp eyes stepped forward and joined the line on the podium. “Fourth: Wilbur!” A guy with slightly curly brown hair covered by a gray beanie cap stood up. “Third: Cara!” A brunette with glasses smiled as she stood next to Wilbur.

“This is taking forever.” Karl complained quietly beside them. George nodded in agreement.

“Especially when it has nothing to do with us.” He grumbled.

“We have a tie for the first place.” Mr. Beast said. Everyone looked up, and immediately murmurs permeated the place. “In first place, both with remarkable abilities and unparalleled capacity. Techno,” A man stepped forward, and the place erupted with even louder murmurs. He was quite tall, but the thing that caught everyone’s attention was his hair. It was pink, and it hung in a braid over his shoulder. Sapnap heard Karl gasp beside him.

“Oh wow! Damn, look at that!” He whisper-yelled. The man took no notice as he continued up the podium. Mr. Beast continued.

“And Dream.” A blond man passed through the crowd and stepped up the podium. The familiar sight of dirty blond hair falling over dark green eyes and that pale face made Sapnap suck in a breath. He felt George grab his arm.

“That’s the guy who asked us!” He whispered. Sapnap nodded in reply.

“I know! Holy shit, didn’t know he was this good!” The blond turned around, and as he stood beside Techno, they exchanged a chaste glance. Dream’s green eyes narrowed as Techno raised a brow.

“All of you will consult with me. The rest of you, choose partners. We will start canon practice after this.” They were left to their own devices, and Sapnap exchanged a glance with George. That was the great thing about having friends: finding partners wasn’t a pain in the ass. The guy who Karl pointed out earlier, Quackity, came over and slung an arm over Karl’s shoulders.

“Yo, Karl! Partners, yeah?” He asked. Karl rolled his eyes and elbowed his side lightly.

“What about the girls?” He asked, exasperatedly fond.

“Girls are girls, and I want you as a partner. There’s nothing wrong about that.” Quackity replied as he pointed at them. “And who are these guys? Who were you talking to behind my back?”

“Behind your back my ass.” Karl retorted as he introduced them. “This is Sapnap and George. Guys, this is Quackity, party animal and womanizer.” Quackity gave an offended squawk as he shoved the man hard. Karl gave him a slap on the arm, which just induced more squawking.

“I’m not a womanizer, you fucker!” He yelled. “Also, yo what’s going on, Sapnap and George? I have no idea which is which to be honest.” Sapnap laughed out loud. This Quackity guy was a blast. He glanced at George, and sure enough he wasn’t too amused.

“Well, Mr. Womanizer. I’m George, and he’s Sapnap.” His friend explained pointedly. Quackity raised his hands in surrender.

“Whoa, whoa, okay, okay. Didn’t mean to offend you with my horrible identifying skills, sheesh.” He exclaimed as Karl cackled. Sapnap extended a hand at the man.

“I’m Sapnap, and don’t worry, I’m not as uptight as George. I think you’re great, dude.” Quackity gave him wide grin and shook his hand rather enthusiastically.

“Thank you! Finally, someone appreciates me! You two weirdos just don’t have taste. Especially you, Karl. Unacceptable. All those years, wasted!” He complained. That just gave rise to another round of bickering. Just as they were about to start throwing mock punches at each other, the top ten recruits rejoined the group. Sapnap waved at Dream, who gave him a blank stare.

“Hey, Dream right? Remember us?” He called. Dream didn’t look too thrilled, but he still came over. Karl and Quackity both looked up at him warily. Sapnap couldn’t blame them, because there really was something quite unsettling about Dream’s cold green eyes. They were emotionless and truly uncaring, and it was just that much more hostile and condescending with his towering height. George gave him a tentative smile, which he didn’t reciprocate. George’s smile immediately turned into an offended frown.

“Yes.” He said simply. Sapnap plastered on a fake smile. God this guy wasn’t that great to talk to.

“Well, I’m Sapnap, and he’s George, so if you want to, you know, _try to get to know us a bit more_ , maybe talk a little?” H emphasized his words, and Dream raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just here to kill dragons. Nothing more.” He replied. His eyes remained emotionless, his stance tall and intimidating. Sapnap rolled his eyes.

“Well yeah, Mr. Edgelord. We all are.” He glanced at George, who looked down. “Well, most of us anyway. You know what? I don’t even know. Since you’re here, welcome to the friend group, I guess. You can leave if you want, because honestly I’m not even sure if you want to join us.” Dream’s lips rose in a smirk.

“You seem daring. I like that.” He said, his voice smooth as velvet as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sapnap smirked back. “Sapnap, huh?”

“Yes, Edgelord. Now act like a friend.” Sapnap said, trying to push his buttons. However, Dream seemed to not mind. In fact, he smirked even more. It looked a little terrifying if Sapnap was being completely honest.

“Alright. Don’t expect me to stick around and we’ll get along great.” He replied. Quackity then pointed a finger at him.

“Wait, who’s your partner?” He asked. Dream shrugged nonchalantly.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” He replied as he turned. “As long as they don’t bring me down, I’m fine with it.” With that, he stalked off, leaving the four of them with a roughly equal amount of disgust and awe.

“Wow, that guy… Sapnap, how are you even maintaining conversation?” George asked, disgust all over his face. “He’s such a douchebag!”

“Yeah, even I’m impressed. Dude, I don’t even like that guy, and Karl can tell you it’s basically impossible.” Quackity agreed, hanging off Karl’s shoulder. Sapnap shrugged.

“He seems cool. If you ignore the terrible personality bit, that is.”

“Sometimes I don’t understand you, Sapnap, and I’ve known you since we’re kids.”

“Well, suck it up, buttercup. I can’t have you knowing all my secrets, George.”

“You really want to play this card? You sure you want everyone to know every single stupid thing you’ve done?”

“On second thought, let’s just move on.” Just a few steps away from him, he saw the Techno guy talk to Wilbur, who was weirdly playing with his hair. Sapnap scrunched up his face. _What?_ He watched, stunned and confused, as this Wilbur guy took apart the messy braid and started rebraiding those silky pink tresses. A boy with short blond hair and freckles was yelling something incoherent beside the two, with another boy with short brown hair trying to get him to be quiet. They both looked quite young.

“Anyway, should we go talk to other people?” Karl asked as he shoved Quackity aside, who protested and fought valiantly to put his arm over his shoulder again. George shrugged.

“Sure.” Together, with their two new friends, they met a few more people. There was Antfrost, who wore glasses and looked way too tame to be a soldier, and Eret, who had a sweet smile and a gentle nature. By the end of it, Sapnap was having a lot of fun, and that was before he even touched the canons.

Now that was fun as hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. We're kinda starting off easy with the Dream SMP. Please do keep in mind the original lore and family trees do not exist in this fic. With that being said, what do you guys think? I'm terribly nervous about writing the Dream SMP members because a) compared to the amigops, I'm not as familiar, and b) some have different personalities from canon. Even so, I hope you guys like them! Those of you who haven't seen the previous chapter which is artwork, please go check it out! I've also done the same thing with the Dream SMP members, so if you want to see them, comment down below! Love you all!


	10. Not an update. Just a little notice.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small notice! Don't worry, I'm not discontinuing the fic.

Alright. I've realized something that would pose a problem to the plot of my story and probably my readers. You see, this story of mine was something I had stored in my imagination for a long time. Therefore, it is quite developed in my mind, with only a few holes I have to fill for context. The individual scenes were already thought up. However, due to some comments and thinking, I've come to the realization that these two fandoms do not have a lot in common (except Karl. He's in both to almost an equal extent). It would be a little odd to read about people you don't really know or care that much about, but their stories are not mutually exclusive.

They are connected, and I don't think I can separate them that easily into individual fics. 

As a result, I want to reconstruct some of my future chapters. I'm thinking of separating them into two parts of a series(thank you, VenVen, for the suggestion. After much thinking I think I've found a way to do it.), one with Corpsekkuno, and the other with Dream, George, and Sapnap. They will converge at one point, but I feel like it's best to do it this way. People can read what they care more about, and there're more space I can work with and develop their storyline. 

With that being said, come check it out even if you're a Corpsekkuno fan! I sincerely hope you enjoy it even if you don't know anyone, because I'm not following their personalities that closely either, nor am I really following the lore of the Dream SMP (even though it's one hell of a masterpiece). The only thing I'm trying to match is its darkness, if that makes sense. I'm naming the part _Humans at Dusk_ , and well, wish me luck. Updates here would be a little less frequent while I try to figure out a good way to make this monster of a story work. My mind sometimes needs to just... chill. Make some simple fluff, some easy road trip adventure or something. Not works that require whole pages of plot line planning.

Of course, if you all have any suggestions, comment away! I have a feeling I'm going to lose so many more braincells, omg.


	11. Hug Scene: Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another artwork because... it's pretty and sweet, and who doesn't want that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would be updating soon, maybe like tomorrow. In the mean time, I present to you probably the most emotionally-filled scene in the book yet. At least... that's what I think about it. Hope you guys like it!


	12. Chapter 12

As far as relationships go, Sykkuno was really at a loss when it came to Corpse. The thing was he never really cared about those things all that much growing up. He had seen people having romantic relationships with others before, and he had heard from Rae about who she thought was cute and whatnot. He himself? He figured out pretty quickly that girls simply just weren’t interested in him. Maybe it was just because he didn’t have the charisma the rest of his friends had. Toast’s intelligence made him popular with almost everybody, and Rae’s confidence and friendliness helped her make friends with even the hardest-to-crack people. In contrast, Sykkuno… he was just good old Sykkuno. That agreeable friend beside his friends.

And he was fine with it.

He wasn’t one for attention anyway, and he was actually pretty happy with reading the books on dragons and tagging along with his friends.

Well… Corpse’s existence completely shattered that. Sykkuno wasn’t sure why, but after he and Corpse made up, the man seemed even less hesitant (as if he was hesitant in the first place) with physical touch. He would often lean his head on Sykkuno’s shoulder for no reason, and with the revelation of his feelings, Sykkuno always felt like he was about to burn to a crisp. Corpse never seemed to care about what other people thought, opting to lean against him even when they were in front of people. His friends soon caught on, and suddenly Sykkuno was suddenly very grateful for the fact that he was left behind during the promotion. It made teasing him a lot more difficult, because the timing was almost always off.

However, Lily was still a training soldier, and she seemed to take it upon herself to make up for everything their friends couldn’t do. Sykkuno loved Lily. He really did… just not now.

“So… Sykkuno, aren’t you just glad you guys didn’t get promoted?” She said, a teasing lilt in her voice as they flew around, polishing their skills, even though at this point, they really didn’t need that much anymore. They did a lot of the fitness training in between, and it was almost impossible to talk during those intense routines. Sykkuno glanced at her and pouted.

“I really wanted to get promoted, Lily. I want to go out in the world with the ability to defend myself.”

“Oh, but now you can always spend time with Corpse without the nosy friends!” Lily exclaimed as she flipped in midair. Her arm had fully healed, leaving behind a slight scar. Lily was really good at crafting, and she had already covered it with a few leather-cord bangles she made, connected with a center strap right down the middle, strategically covering up the uneven line on her skin. She landed gracefully on a wall and turned to him. “Corpse seems to enjoy it greatly.” She pointed, and Sykkuno looked toward the direction her finger was pointed at. His eyes met Corpse, who was perched on a neighboring wall like a gigantic bat with cables. He was watching him, and even with the one eye that was visible, Sykkuno could see how soft his look was. He couldn’t help but look away, unable to meet his gaze any longer without bursting into flames. Lily rolled her eyes.

“Come here, Corpse! Come to your sweetheart!” She yelled, despite Sykkuno’s silent begging through his eyes. He had decided Lily was pure evil. The man leaped off the wall, his body sailing gracefully through the air as his curly black hair billowed in the wind. He landed beside them without so much as a sound. He automatically moved to stand beside Sykkuno, completely ignoring Lily’s impish grin. “By the way, today is the day they start training the new batch of soldiers.”

“Oh really?” Sykkuno asked. Lily nodded.

“Yeah. They’re still being taught basics, I think. Only the canon aimers are taught actual skills at the moment. The airborne ones are still being taught dragon theory.” She explained as she adjusted the leather arm cuff. “I’ve heard that there are exceptional recruits this time. Everyone was talking about them.”

“You’ve met the recruits?”

“I met some of them when I was in the infirmary. They were all talking about two canon aimer recruits.” Lily chuckled as she leaned back. “The girls said they were hot as fuck.” Sykkuno raised an eyebrow. Corpse was silent, offering no commentary. He always preferred silence over talking since Sykkuno met him. Maybe that was why they got along so well. “I think one was called Techno or something, and the other… wait, what was it? It was super unique… Oh yeah. Dream.”

“Dream?” Sykkuno frowned as he got ready to take flight again. “His name is just… Dream?” Lily got ready after him, and Corpse followed. Together, they leaped into the air and descended toward Yvonne, who had also remained in as a training soldier. It really wasn’t fair how the instructors ignored those who stayed to help, but there was nothing they could do.

“Yeah. I know it’s weird, but then again what’s up with Toast’s name?”

“His real name is Jeremy. He just likes being called Toast.” Sykkuno replied. “So they’re just… handsome?”

“No, that’s not all of it.” Lily corrected him as they flew toward the end of the course. “Apparently, they were very skilled. One of the girls overheard the instructors talking, and she said they had been praising them as ‘prodigies’. Must be some god-like abilities.” Corpse had at that point flown a little faster than they did, and he turned slightly in mid-air and glided beside Lily as he stared at them both.

“They’re canon aimers?” He asked. “If they’re that good, why are they there?”

“I mean, there are a lot of reasons why people want to pursue that. Some people just don’t want to be airborne soldiers. Don’t want to live recklessly like we do.” Lily said as Corpse continued staring at her. “I’m thinking maybe they will be given a choice.”

“Freelancer?” Sykkuno asked as he prepared to land. Corpse gave him a confused look, and he smiled apologetically. “They’re canon aimers who also have the capacity to fly, Corpse.”

“Is that so?” Corpse looked away, his eye thoughtful as they all landed at the finish line. Lily immediately went over to Yvonne. Sykkuno glanced at his friend, who stood rooted to the spot, lost in thought. He went up to him and gave him a soft nudge.

“What are you thinking about, Corpse?” He asked quietly. Corpse looked up at him.

“Wouldn’t it be the best for you if you became a freelancer?” He questioned. Sykkuno shook his head.

“Only the best gets to be freelancers. They’re considered special forces.” He said apologetically. Corpse nodded and leaned his head on Sykkuno’s shoulder. They stood there quietly, savoring the silence. Sykkuno pondered over Lily’s words as he leaned slightly onto his friend. New recruits meant new options for promotion, and even though he didn’t like recalling it, he had seen how Corpse was immediately considered. If he really wanted to catch up with his friends, he really had to perform better than he did now.

“Corpse?” His friend leaned back and gave him a questioning gaze. “How did you get in so quickly?” Corpse raised an eyebrow. “I mean… we all had to take fitness tests. Why did they let you in so easily?”

“They made me run a few laps and other things before they let me in.” He replied. “They didn’t really ask that many questions. I told them I wanted to, and they just… let me in.” Sykkuno hummed and looked over at the training grounds for the newcomers. Most of them were in fact getting ready to fire the canons. He couldn’t really see the figures that well, but he could make out a few blocks of color on the recruits’ shirts. There was blue and green, black and blue. He wondered which one was Techno, and which one was Dream. If he really didn’t make it into the airborne corps, he would have to get used to that life, only working toward the goal of becoming a fortress guard, while his friends went out the walls. He would only be able to listen to their tales, forever longing to go outside. Would Corpse be one of those people who come back to tell him stories? He wouldn’t be able to stand that. Beside him, Corpse gently tugged his arm.

“Let’s go. I think Lily and Yvonne are calling us for lunch.” He whispered. Sykkuno gave him a smile and let him pull him toward the group of leaving training soldiers. Lunch time meant time with friends, and he was excited for that.

* * *

Lunch was always an interesting affair, and with their friends being actual soldiers now, it became a way for Sykkuno to get some news and what to expect if he was promoted. Jack and Ludwig were already at the table, chatting over mashed potatoes, and Rae and Toast were still in line. Corpse stood behind him at the end of the line, and they listened to the conversation going on around them as they waited for their turn. Most of them were about mundane things, but sure enough, he did catch quite a few sentences about the new recruits. Just like Lily said, people were talking about the two newest recruits. Apparently, they were exceptional, but Sykkuno didn’t know how much of it was just rumor and how much of it was truth. Soon, it was their turn, and they got their share before making their way over to their friends.

“Sykkunie!” Jack smiled widely and waved his fork, which had a sausage skewered on it, at them. Sykkuno waved back as he settled beside Rae. Corpse sat down beside him.

“Hey, Jack. How’s today going?” The man shrugged and swallowed his food. Toast stabbed his own fork into a pile of peas and glanced at him.

“It’s fine. We’ve gone outside though. Patrolling and stuff.” He explained. “We’re also choosing leaders of individual squads.”

“Oh yeah!” Ludwig suddenly exclaimed. He pointed at the man and grinned. “Apparently, he and I are in the same squad. Peter is the one who’s actually leading us.”

“Yeah, and I’m in Jodi’s squad.” Rae chimed in. “I think Jack got Abe.” Sykkuno listened intently to their complaints and conversation as he slowly ate his food. Corpse watched them all silently, his glass box full while he made no move to eat it. By then everyone had gotten used to Corpse not eating to meal times, and they all looked away respectfully. Toast suddenly snapped his finger, and everyone turned to him.

“I think I’ve heard something from the higher ranked officials.” He announced. Rae raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean? You’re saying you heard something we didn’t?” She asked impatiently. “Spill then.” Toast rolled his eyes at her and got to it.

“I think there are plans of territorial expansion.” He said, clasping his hands dramatically under his chin. Sykkuno blinked in confusion and glanced at jack and Ludwig, who both looked just as confused as he was.

“Okay… what does that mean for us?” Ludwig questioned as he leaned his head on his hand. “What are we even going to do about that? I don’t think I even know they did those. I thought they purely did defense and shit.”

“Well, apparently they do that too.” Toast shrugged as he shoved the peas into his mouth. “I overheard a few of the officials talking about it. I don’t know what they’re even going to do. Not gonna lie I’m interested in what kind of strategies they intend on using, because as we all have probably learned by now, dragons aren’t easy to just boss around. They’re not going to just ignore some humans trying to reclaim land. We would be chomped and burned in seconds.”

“Oh, maybe they’re going to do the thing at night! When dragons are inactive!” Rae suggested excitedly. “Think about it! We build the strongholds during the night, and when the dragons return at dawn, we can defend against them and drive them away!” Toast nodded in agreement, and the conversation soon turned into theories on how to get back land. Sykkuno leaned back, lowering his gaze as he felt Corpse shifting slightly closer to him.

_Expansion. What an interesting concept._ He thought as he listened to Corpse’s breathing. _Humans… we sure have come a long way._ He wondered why there was suddenly this news of expansion. Perhaps there was some breakthrough? Some kind of military technology? Or maybe…

_Those recruits. It can’t be, right?_ He mused. _It can’t be because they were so strong everyone immediately speculated it might be possible to expand territory, right?_

“What are you thinking?” Corpse asked quietly. Sykkuno turned to him and sighed.

“Nothing. Just why they’re suddenly talking about expansion. That’s all.” He explained. “I’m thinking it could be because they found something or someone major.” Corpse gave him a cock of his head, and he glanced at the entering recruits. Sykkuno followed his gaze and observed the incoming group. It was divided into roughly two groups, and he realized they were separated into the canon aimers and the airborne soldiers. He looked away.

_Just like every year._ He thought almost guiltily. Corpse got up from his seat, and with his lunch box in hand, headed toward the exit.

“I’m going to have lunch. See you later, Sykkuno.” He called over his shoulder. Just then, there was some commotion, and Sykkuno turned toward the sudden sound. Toast, Rae, Ludwig, and jack had all stopped talking and were craning their necks to see what happened. Sykkuno squinted, trying to make out what exactly everyone was getting so excited about.

“It’s them!” Someone said beside their table.

“Who?” Sykkuno asked, but no one answered him. Instead, he saw two figures emerge from the crowd, the other recruits parting a way for them. One of them had blond hair and was wearing a green hoodie, while the other had a pink braid right down one shoulder. With a start, he realized that must be _them._ The legendary recruits according to everyone else. They did have this sharp look, the blond having unfriendly green eyes and the pinkette(?) having eyes that flicked upward naturally, almost scowling at everyone he saw. He turned back to call out to Corpse, hoping he wouldn’t miss the spectacle.

“Corpse!” He yelled, raising his hand, as he turned toward the exit, trying to catch him before he left. He couldn’t have walked that far away already, can he? “Corpse! Corpse…?”

Corpse must walk a lot faster than he thought, because the man had vanished, his distinctive all black attire nowhere to be seen. Sykkuno’s hand fell down to his side, slightly disappointed. Shrugging, he went back to the remainder of his meal.

Guess he would just have to tell Corpse after lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah baby new chapter! We're back to the usual program of Corpsekkuno. I've also updated Humans at Dusk. The first chapter is just the one I have in this fic the one chapter apparently everyone gave a wtf. So sorry for those confused readers. Please forgive me. It would really make me happy if you read that too, partly because well... I love readers and engagement, and partly because they will converge into one at some point. I'll make art there too, so if you want to see those, maybe read that to entertain yourselves in the mean time. As usual, comment what you like about the fic, say hi, theorize... everything is welcome.
> 
> Oh and I just read the latest AOT manga, chapter 138. I think my heart has died. Don't worry, folks. I'm not going to make my fic follow that. Ever. Not a chance. OMFG.


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